Hearts and Diamonds
by laurensnana
Summary: The Wells Family is complete and together. The town of Salem is moving on from the tragic explosion at the Brady Pub. But a new force is coming around to exact payment for a wrong done in the past. Who will be caught up in this act of revenge?
1. Chapter 1

**Hearts and Diamonds**

**The Wells family is together again as a whole unit. While they continue to bond as a family, the tentacles of the DiMera legacy still reach out, and trouble cannot be far behind. The Brady's of Salem are still reeling from the losses they have suffered, and the Kirakis scores have yet to be settled.**

**Chapter I **

Ace raced down the stairs, this was the day! He had marked it off on the calendar along with Kacie for the past week. This was their real, honest to goodness birthday, and it would be the first party he had ever had. Kacie had a date on her birth certificate, but now she too had the real honest to goodness date. EJ had spent a great deal of time and used all of his persuasiveness on getting Lexie to recall just when the twins had been born. Her defiance had more to do with wanting to forget what had been forced on her than dislike of the children, so finally she had worked it out with EJ, and it had not cost him all that much either.

August 12, 2009, and it was now 2014, he was five years old, so was Kacie...and his cake was going to be chocolate with mint frosting, the ice cream was going to be mint chocolate chip, and it was going to have a dolphin on it. Kacie wanted a princess cake, and strawberry ice cream, but there was no accounting for taste! He already knew what he was going to wish for, he had given up on the dolphin, but not on this wish. Mom knew, Dad knew, now it was just a matter of them pulling it together for him.

The yard was set up for the party. EJ looked out at what Samantha had set up, amazed at what a childs birthday party could end up being nowadays. To Sami, this was her way of making up to both of the children the time they had been lost, Kacies' illness, Aces being shoved from place to place, and finally the ordeal of being held as a hostage to a legacy they should have remained innocent of. The trauma of just getting over everything had been a years worth of dealing with their fears and anxieties. The children had been very resilient, but Sami knew there were still scars left. This party was also a big part of the healing process. She wanted it to be perfect! EJ just wanted it to be over!

There were three bounce houses out on the lawn, a clown who was hired to do face painting, a rock climbing wall, pony rides, and a batting cage for the bigger boys and girls to test their skills. Justin was already inside that one, whacking away as the balls came whizzing out of the chute. Jessica was over by the pony with Kacie, the two of them were feeding them some of the carrots set out in the bucket.

EJ thought he had seen it all, until the dance floor was being laid down, and the six piece band started setting up.

"Samantha!" he caught up to her, as she was giving final orders to the caterer who was working with Alfred the cook.

"Ok, yes, these canapés should be perfect, the shrimp cocktails should be kept in the frig inside, until 3, we don't want anyone getting ill!"

"Samantha, I am the one who is getting ill, this is not a party for two five year olds, this is bigger than our wedding reception!"EJ looked exasperated.

"Please, EJ, let me get this finished, go watch Justin bat, he has been waiting on you for an hour! He wants to show you how fast he can take a pitch!" She had really tried to keep the scope of the party under wraps from him, fearing just such a reaction!

"Why is all this necessary? A band? For a bunch of kids?"

"Well I am sure they would enjoy some good music too, but no, the band is for the parents to dance to." Sami looked at him with a 'please, EJ, let me get this back on schedule!' kind of look.

"Just how many are we to expect for this shindig?" EJ was starting to get worried, Samantha had never been know to be this extravagant, it was usually him who went top heavy for entertaining.

"I have RSVP's from two hundred and seventy five, but I have had Tippin calling for people I may have forgotten, EJ, I want everyone here who was so kind to us when we got back..I would feel awful if I slighted anyone!"

"Yes, that would be terrible if anyone in the town of Salem was forgotten" EJ shrugged, then went over to the batting cage. He knew there was nothing to be done about it now, but swore he would be more involved in the other twins birthday party. He looked in the box for a cricket bat, and finding none, he headed inside to get one, since he had never gotten the hang of the feel of an American bat.

Ace watched his brother for a bit, but baseball was not what he was interested in today. His mind was on the pile of presents, and he wanted to know if what was on his wish list was in the pile. Inky trailed alongside him, still a puppy in mind and soul, but the slight graying of his muzzle and his penchant for more and longer naps was evident to both Sami and EJ. Calling him to follow, Ace ruffled the neck of the little cocker who looked at him with a pair of black fringed brown eyes that melted with love.

Spying what he thought was the most likely package, Ace picked up the roundness of the wrapped gift and shook his fist in a YES! It was a sleeping bag, and when he looked at the pile, he counted out several more just like it. He had been bringing down the catalogue for a couple of weeks to pore over it and show the different pictures to his parents.

"See, we can sleep in this side of the tent, you and Mom take the middle, and Kace and Jess over here. We can cook on this stove, it is a Coleman! Then we cut wood for fires with this axe. We can catch fish to eat, and pick berries, take our baths in the lake! That would be so much fun!"

His enthusiasm had won over his brother and sisters. Mom and Dad however, were not quite so convinced.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like a new bike..or a trampoline.."Sami was not sure she was the camping type.

"Maybe it would be best to rent some kind of conveyance, like a motor home, or a travel trailer" EJ suggested hopefully, but knowing his son as he did, he figured it was a lost cause.

"No..that would not be real camping..I want to go real camping! Uncle Bo says it is the best way to do it, under the stars and out with the.."

"Bears and wolves" Sami had finished. Though in the end, they had agreed to give their son his wish.

That night in bed, EJ had pulled her in next to him, even though the night had been warm. "Have you ever been camping young lady?" he smoothed her hair, which had grown out to chin length, and was now worn in a sophisticated shaggy cut.

"Are you kidding? My idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn with no coffee shop!"

'How are we going to do this in a tent? With our children on either side of us?" he was slipping the straps of her nightgown down as he asked the question, and moved his lips to where the straps had been..

"EJ, we may have to..."she was going to say something, but his lips made her gasp, as she pulled him atop her to look him in the eye.

"have to what?, tell me..what will we do?" He was teasing her as he spoke.

"EJ, we may have to just wait to make love until we get back from the week of camping!"

"I knew I would hate it!"

**Chapter II**

Kate was with Carrie, sipping her cocktail while looking out at Victor on the dance floor with Hana.

"I do not understand that at all, he is acting like he thinks he is half his age!" Kate was perturbed enough at having been dragged to this overblown birthday party as it was, but Phillip had insisted they had to show for appearances sake.

"I think it is sweet, she takes such good care of him, like she did Lucas I hear". Carrie rather enjoyed sticking it to her former mother in law, remembering how she had been thrown aside by Austin, and how little Kate had supported her. At that moment, Lloyd came up to offer Carrie a glass of champagne. His arm slipped about her, and he whispered in her ear, asking her to join him on the dance floor. Matthew had a partner on the floor too, Kacie was dancing with him, standing upon his shoes as he moved around the floor and looking up at him adoringly. Besides her Daddy, Matthew was her second best guy. When she saw Carrie and Lloyd dance by them, she smiled and waved hi to her "Aunt Carrie and Uncle Lloyd.". She had acted as a flower girl at their wedding. Carries's heart still caught a bit when she saw her niece, but Carrie had accepted that this was the relationship she had with the little girl now, and she loved her as much as she ever had. With Sami and EJ, she had a quiet truce to help keep the relationship.

Kacie was dressed in a pale yellow frock, her pigtails tied at the ears with matching ribbons which she really hated! The chemo she had undergone three years ago had kept her hair from growing back very fast, still it was the pigtails that annoyed her the most! They came to just about ear level, and poked her constantly. She so wanted the long lustrous curls of Jessica, and Mom kept saying they would come, but it was taking so long! Matthew, though, he just smiled at her and said she was pretty, and he loved her dress, her hair, and the little white shoes that had the taps on the bottom! As she danced with him, she smiled out at Chelsea, not minding her competition for his heart this time.

Justin had come to sit next to his Popa John and Gran Marlena. He never understood why she was always so uncomfortable with him, but he withstood her stiffness to enjoy the company of Popa. They would talk baseball for as long as they could, and John would always start a pick catch game with him and whoever else wanted to play. Marlena seemed already wanting to leave, and John would ignore her signals until he saw she seemed too agitated to stand the pressure anymore. Her nervousness had less to do with what she felt towards the children, or any guilt she had, it was due to her nightmares about Kristen. John had held her in his arms several nights as she had begun screaming out his name to help her as she had remembered being in this very house with Kristen holding her prisoner in the room walled off from the wine cellar. When John walked off with Justin, she had felt the anxiety returning, so she slipped one of her pills out from her purse, swallowing it with a bit of the glass of wine she was sipping.

Only Kate had noticed Marlena taking the medication, and she smiled to herself with a bit of satisfaction. She had always wondered when exactly the weakness she always knew Marlena had would manifest itself.

"John deserting you again, you really should hold your man on a tighter leash, never know what he may get into if you don't."Kate did not wait for an invitation to sit, and Marlena did not extend one either.

"How have things been at the hospital? Any new neuroses cropping up?" her voice was calm and whispery, but Kate always had a venomous undertone.

"I have been working hard, if that is what you mean. The hospital is putting on additional staff next month though, we have a new psychologist coming on board from London. That should take some of the load off". Marlena was polite, not taking the bait that Kate was swirling under her nose.

"Wonderful, you look as though you need the rest. Well, I must run and mingle now, Sami might think I did not appreciate being invited if I don't ".

"She said she does not want to cut you out of Kacie'.s life, you were once her grandmother too."

"Yes, I remember. The things I do for my children, now I have only Philip who ignores me and Billie, who she wants nothing to do with me at all. I should never have bothered. Maybe my sons would still be alive" her voice and eyes went distant.

Philip danced with Annaliese, and she admired the ring on her finger. He had replaced her original one with one that had a couple more carats, and she now seemed satisfied.

"Soon, I want to make a baby with you Annaliese, and no more stalling!" His grip on her hand had gone from firm to cruel, and she yanked it away. This bargain she had made with this devil was turning out to make her pay a heavier price than she had counted when she had turned to him after Austin had been killed. Not only did she still have Kate as the mother in law from Hell, now she had the husband from the same part of the universe to contend with. His bitterness with his first wife carried over to her, and she had the bruises to prove it. When he saw Shawn and Belle glide past, his eyes had raked over Belle, making Annaliese laugh at him.

"La Belle, she is with her handsome husband, and looking most content. Pregnant again, and I spoke to her earlier..it is a son, mon ami! I guess they do not need to use the test tube method, they do things the old fashioned way!" her laugh in his ear was mocking of him and again, he gripped her cruelly, trying to hurt her as much as he could. However, she had tired of his games, and in a move she knew he would not anticipate, she had kicked out at his artificial leg, knowing it would go skidding across the floor, as he fell down, sprawling at the feet of Belle and Shawn.

Shawn had offered his hand, and Belle had retrieved the metal leg fitting, but Phillip had merely scowled, and ignored the outstretched palm. From Belle he took the leg, and struggled over to a chair, sitting and replacing the prosthesis once more. His face was red from the humiliation, and he would speak to no one as he reattached his leg. He glared as he saw EJ approach Annaliese.

"Interesting dynamic between the two of you. How long has it been this way between you love birds?"

She turned her cats green eyes upon EJ, sizing him up and finding him to be most pleasing to her predatory instincts.

"Mr. Wells..you do ask the most impertinent questions. However, I love impertinent questions..so the answer is...from probably the first time he ever made love to me..if you could call it that..he tends to make up for his inadequacies by playing rough..if you know what I mean".

"I do apologize, I had no intention of prying".

"Oh, well that is a shame, I was so looking forward to laying my life out for you to enjoy!"

"Yes, well, thank you, but I see my lovely wife is looking for me now..do excuse me" EJ beat the hasty retreat, but making mental notes of all she had said, and all he had seen. He had yet to deal with Phillip or Victor, living in the same town as them made them a bit more invulnerable. To come out and accuse them of being responsible for the deaths and the explosions at the Pub would have come as hard to believe for a community who though of them as pillars of the town, and major employers as well. EJ knew, as a patient man, there would come the right time to bring them down, no one could hide a crime like that forever.

**Chapter III**

To Sami, the party was coming together quite nicely, the children were enjoying all the activities, as were the adults. A party like this was a rarity in Salem anymore since the tragedy. It was time to bring them back. Sami had mourned for her grandparents, been shocked at the loss of both Lucas and Austin, but she wished them peace in their next lives. Bo and Hope had just finished rebuilding the Pub, and another party was going to be scheduled for the grand opening in October. Sami had offered to help with those festivities, and this was all good practice.

On her cue, the band had started up some country music, and she had run to get Hope, Chndler, Marlena, Maggie, Chelsea, Belle, Carrie and Billie out on the floor to start up some line dancing! The boot scooting boogie soon had fifty people out on the floor, with EJ and Harris standing on the sidelines clapping and laughing as Bo and John got totally messed up in the step sequence, but Sami, having none of that from the sidelines ran and pulled them into the action! When the abaya wearing Hana pulled Victor out onto the floor, it seemed as though miracles were occurring. Only Kate and Philip glared from the sidelines, as Annaliese made her way into the line.

"I told you what would happen if you married that little witch!" Hissed Kate.

"Unless you wanted to see your only grandson move back to Switzerland, you should be grateful that I kept them here!"

"Other ways could have been tried". Kate huffed, and Phillip knew what she meant, but for all that they were often at each others throats, Annaliese did have the power to excite him, he liked the bitch in her, and taming it was a challenge he enjoyed.

"And what of Hana? Has Victor turned her into a pet or something?" it was galling to see the old fool out there with that woman, and Kate felt it made him look especially idiotic with her still in that ridiculous fashion of dress.

"Pop said if I touched a hair on her head, he would see me out on the street driving a cab!" He also hated the influence the mously little woman exerted over his father. Almost any moment he had free, Victor wanted to be in her presence. He offered no apology for it, and dared anyone question him about why he felt this way about her. Phillip downed the beer and headed back for another.

Theo looked around, finally running into Zach and Justin at the batting cages. His mom had dropped him off, and drove off. She still hated being around crowds, preferring to sit at home alone, once in awhile talking on the phone with a caller she would never identify to him. Her legal problems had been fixed by Uncle EJ, but she still was unable to work. Theo had been assured by his uncle that he was going to take care of that, and soon Lexie would regain her respected place in the community.

"Your mother has suffered enough, Theo, and you need her to be able to raise and support you, with your father still ill. I will help her, just be patient."EJ put his arm about Theo's shoulders as he said all of this, then he had left him at the batting cages as he got back to Samantha and the party.

As they walked among the guests, arms about each others waists, they greeted and mingled with the people of Salem. It had been over a year since they had gotten to be a full fledged family again, and besides all of the struggle of pulling their lives back together, they had been deeply involved in getting Salem back together, a town that had been through so much since that horrible night. EJ and Sami had donated the money and land for a park memorializing those who had died that night, and it was soon to be dedicated.

The Brady Pub was reopening and Bo and Hope were going to operate it, with the help of Belle and Shawn. It had been a while in getting their lives back on track, Shawn had a lot of issues he had worked on over the last two years. Belle had been patient, and finally with the chance to run the business with her, and his Mom and Dad, he had conquered the anger that had plagued him as a young man. He would never be a business tycoon like Phillip, but he was happiest tinkering with a motor anyway.

Bo had left the dance floor after executing a credible "boot scoot' dance, to head over to talk to his father, Victor. He never really felt Victor was his Dad, but he was his Father. There was a difference, and they both knew it.

"Bo...nice party, I am enjoying it immensely." Victor was cool, but cordial. Hana, as always sat on the ground at his feet, looking up at him, trying to anticipate his every need. When his cigar seemed to have an ash ready to fall, she moved the ashtray to capture it.

"Yeah, Victor, this is quite a shindig..but I must say, I am surprised you would want to attend a birthday party for EJ and Sami's kids. Did not know the little snips meant that much to you!"

"They would be Carolines grandchildren as well, would they not, and you know how I felt about your mother..I loved her almost all my life..I still cherish her memory, and these children are her memory! I think Ace is almost the most fearless child I have ever heard of, and Kacie, well she is the image of Caroline to me!"

"Glad to hear you say that Victor, I would hate for anymore accidents to happen to anyone connected to the Brady family ever again."

"Bo, I would hate that as well..Hana, could you bring me a glass of iced tea, my dear?"

Bo watched the woman walk gracefully across to the bar area. "Personal question, but your relationship with Hana strikes a lot of people as rather odd, care to fill me in on what is going on with you and her?"

"She calms me down, and as the recipient of the heart of the man she loves, she feels Lucas lives on in me..I am the heart of Lucas, she says. It is nice to have someone who feels you can do no wrong Bo, it is comforting to have someone who just wants to be around you. Hana expects nothing from me, asks nothing of me, all she wishes is for me to be happy. It is lovely,. rather selfish of me sometimes, but I just can't give her up."

It was almost dusk when the two giant cakes were wheeled out, and the two guests of honor lined up to blow out candles and open gifts. When Ace got the the camping equipment he pumped his fist up and down, calling out "Yes!" His dream was going to come true with a trip to the Yosemite National Park.

Kacie was rewarded with her fondest wish too, in the person of a small bundle of fur that Inky was also interested in. A new puppy had joined the Wells household. Tan and pink tongued, the little golden lab promised to grow into her paws in no time at all, but for now, Kacie could hold her with no trouble, as the puppy licked and gave the wet nose of love to her new mistress. Tippin, of course, remembering the old housebreaking ordeals with Inky forced his smile to beam on his little mistress. Ahh well, life in this house was at least never dull..always a new challenge!

**Chapter IV**

She put her valise up in the overhead, vowing to never again fly coach. The two seats in her row were already occupied with one very overweight lady who was taking up a seat and a half, and the other seat was filled by a young boy who looked to be about seven. It was soon apparent they were mother and son, nd giving a sigh of resignation, she resolved to make the best of a bad situation As she sat down in the aisle seat, the woman on the inside next to the window decided she had to use the loo. Her smile was stretched across her face, but she decided this might be a time to ask if the woman would rather have the aisle. The gratitude on her face was all the answer needed by Kristen. Settling herself in next to the window, it was more comfortable now, and she would not be as disturbed if the woman had to move again.

She wanted the time to study her new identity, get familiar with all the jargon she would have to use as the newest staff psychologist on staff at Salem University. Buying a new identity was never cheap, but this identity had cost a kings ransom. Stefano had not balked when she told him she needed a lot of money. After all, what is money for, if not to help the ones you love. What she planned to do with it, he did not care, there was so little left of amusement in his life since Ace had left, his considerable assets were at her disposal. Soon she was equipped with a degree, a phony but verifiable work history, and letters of reference from some very esteemed colleagues who knew what was good for them.

The flight into Salem would be twelve hours and a few minutes. Though she might have preferred silence and the chance to study the young boy immediately started a conversation with her, so rather than fight it she used it to practice her newfound accent, and her new identity. To her delight though,he proved to be a source of invaluable information.

"Hi, I'm Andy, I go to school in Salem..do you live in Salem, are you from Salem, what is your name? Does that hurt?" he was pointing to the severe bun her black hair was pinned into.

"Well hello Andy, I am glad to make your acquaintance. No, this hairstyle is one that is necessary for my profession, I need to look like I am in charge, "she laughed as she said it, but was thinking, maybe I should let my hair down just a bit, come to think of it, I am in a slight bit of pain.

" My name is Doctor Antonia LaDierma, and yes I am going to be living in Salem..but I am not from Salem, I have lived and studied in London for quite some time, but I am originally from Florence, Italy. Have you learned about Florence in your Geography classes?"

"Sorry Lady, I am just in the third grade, never heard of that one. But we went to see my Grandma in London..now I have to come back and go to school next month. I go to school in Salem at Roman Brady Elementary. It got named after a cop who died. I go to school with his grandson and granddaughter. Justin is my best friend, he has a sister her name is Jessica. She is pretty, but I told Justin not to tell her I said that!

"Oh, so you go to Roman Brady Elementary school, and your best friend is Justin, would that be Justin Wells?"

"Yeah, how did you know that?" Andy was surprised. "We are on the same soccer team too, he is really good at it."

"Andy, I used to watch EJ Wells race a long time ago, and I still keep on his career from time to time. But tell me more about your friends! What is Jessica like, besides being very pretty!?'

It was a long conversation, and soon she was asking him and his mother to please call her Antonia..it was her way of getting used to the alias. Being a natural actress was second nature to her, and soon she found herself actually believing her name was Antonia.

"You have spent the night with the family of the race driver, EJ Wells? Ohh, my, what does their house look like..is it very big?"

"Yes, it is monstrous big! It used to be a bad guys house, but not now. It was the DiMera house, lots of people got kilt there, but it is ok now!"

"Oh, yes I have heard there was supposed to be lots of tunnels and secret passages there! Have you ever seen anything like that there?"

"No, mamm, Justin and Jessica said their daddy fixed all that. He was afraid they might get locked up or sumpin..but they do have a big swimming pool, and some dunes for riding motor bikes. Their mom kinda does not like it when we do that, but Mr. Wells says it is ok, long as we follow all the rules. I just love going to their house. I would go there when we get home, but they are gonna be gone on a camping trip til just before school starts!"

"Camping? I have never been camping. Where do they go camping at?"Antonia was keenly interested in this bit of information.

"Well, Justin said he thought it would be at Yosemite. His dad bought some land near there, so they was gonna go see it, then go in. They are backpacking in on horses! That sounds like so much fun! Justin says they gotta take their own food, and keep it away from the bears! I could keep bears away, know how to do it Antonia?"

"I'm sure I have not a clue! How do you keep bears away/"

As Andy gave out his plan for scaring bears away, her mind traveled to the myriad tunnels of escape Stefano had laid out in the old DiMera Mansion. Unless EJ was still involved in a lot of construction projects on the house, there was no way he could have blocked them all. The Wells family would also be gone for awhile on this camping trip. It was almost as though a higher power or a lower one was making this all so much easier for her than she had hoped it could be!

The child finally had slept, and his mother had pulled a blanket over him. Kristen complimented her on what a nice boy he was, and she had beamed.

'Yes, he is a handful sometimes, but he is a good boy, we lost his father awhile back. There was a terrible bombing of a local pub. He was just there to give a friend who had had a bit too much to drink a lift home, and got caught up in it. This friend of his he was talking about, Justin..well his Mom and Dad have been so good to us. Paid for this trip to see my mom, my Andrews funeral expenses, and gave me a job even. Those folks are a blessing to Salem. They may be from DiMera stock, but all they have been is good for the town of Salem, just fine folks!"

"Well then, I hope I quickly learn to know them! I will be working with Mrs. Wells mother you know, Dr. Marlena Evans!"

**Chapter V**

The porters unloading the Mythic Jet were used to a lot of sights, but to unload a bunch of camping equipment from a luxury private jet was a first for all of them. Fresno Airport was a small one, and soon, many of the employees were also checking out this strange sight.

Tippin was fretting, there was no way the family could possibly survive this week, and he was loathe to let them go off on their own like this. However the Mr.'s instructions were written, and he was to follow them to the letter. He was only to check off that all the items were loaded onto the top of the rented SUV, and then let them go off on their own as a family on a camping adventure. Tippin was to wait at a local hotel, and they would contact him when they were on their way back down from the wilderness. She was doing her best not to show it, but Tippin could see the Mistress was worried as well.

"You there, be sure the tent is secure, and those sleeping bags, tie them up tight now!"

"Tippin, it says from this point on the map on there is no cell service, what if we have an emergency?"

"Please don't have one madam, just please don't!"

EJ came up just then, after finishing another business related call. "Well, now,looks like we are all loaded up..Tippin, great job as usual! Shall we do a nose count, then carry on?"

"Line up now my little soldiers!" EJ called out to the kids. Ace was first in line, holding the dancing Inky on his leash. Kacie had fought for the right to bring Sophie, her little lab who was already bigger than Inky! Justin was helping her to control the puppy, who was threatening to yank her down the tarmac with her enthusiasm and happiness at being off the plane. Jessica was last down the stairs, as she had spent a lot of time in the cockpit, she was dreaming of being a pilot already!

Tippin stood and waved them off. Be still, he told himself, it is only a week! What could possibly go amiss in one short week?

"Daddy how much further? When do we get to the horse camp? How many more miles?"

"Well now Ace, it is approximately sixty eight miles which will take us a little over an hour depending on traffic" EJ was patience itself as he gave Ace this information.

Ten minutes later as they made it onto the freeway onramp from the airport came the plaintive plea of Kacie, "Daddy, I hafta go pee pee!"

As EJ waited for all four of the kids and Samantha to emerge from the station bathroom, his watch showed they were only slightly off schedule. He took the time to walk the dogs, and give them both some water. When everyone was back into the car, he again made his way onto the on ramp. Ten miles up the road, the second shoe dropped!

"EWWWW! Daddy! Daddy! Stop the car, stop it now!"Sophie is throwing up"Jessica sounded the alarm as the pup's digestive track had taken all it could with the plane ride, the car ride and the strange water.

It only took and hour to clean out the car, change the clothes of Jessica and Kacie who had taken the brunt of the bilious assault and they were once again on their way.

Sami was taking most of this in stride, as this was almost every day stuff to her as the designated soccer mom. She could see him begin to grip the wheel in a white knuckled way.He led a very disclipined life most times, things were just expected to go his way. His household ran on rails, that was what he paid Tippin for. The children were mostly neat and tidy, he tolerated some muss, but an animal throwing up in his car was not his usual circumstance. Checking the GPS on the dash, Sami prayed the remaining miles would go without a hitch.

"I don't friggin believe this!" EJ was fuming as Samantha came up to caution him on his language in front of the children. The back tire was flat, not only flat, but with a big flap of rubber hanging loose.

"Don't worry, Daddy, I can help. I help Harris with the quads all the time!" and Justin was as good as his word as he found the tool to unscrew the brackets holding the spare under the vehicle carriage. To the relief of EJ, it was a proper tire, not a blasted doughnut! Sleeves rolled up, he began to take the lug nuts off the flat tire, and get the new one situated on the car. In almost no time at all they were rolling again, but EJ knew they needed to find a station and purchase another tire.

"It says here there is a town just about eight miles up, called Coarsegold! I bet we can get a tire there honey!"

"Daddy, how much further? How many more miles, what time is it? What time do we get to the horse camp? I'm hungry, we got any snacks?"Ace it seemed was always in a growth spurt nowadays, and it was impossible to get him satisfied!

EJ was thinking back to what Samantha had said about it probably not being a good idea for them to make love during the week they would be sharing the tent with the kids. He found the solace of Samantha to always be a balm for what ever ailed him during the day. Groaning aloud at the thought of what he was going through now, he wondered if there might be a headline reading "Father Goes Mad, Eats Entire Family!" by the end of the week!

**Chapter VI**

As soon as she had cleared the customs and was on the way to baggage, she stopped to listen to the page: "Doctor Antonia LaDierma, white courtesy phone please!"

"This is Doctor LaDierma" she waited to see who was on the line, as she had made no arrangements.

"Hello Doctor, this is John Black, my wife is Doctor Marlena Evans, your soon to be colleague. She asked me to pick you up, and get you to your hotel. Cabs can be hard to come by this time of the evening.

"Oh, my, I am so sorry to put you to this kind of trouble..but thank you, I was worried about how to find my way around, you are too kind!"

"Hey, you are gonna be my lifesaver, keep my wife from working all the hours on the clock! I will meet you at baggage carousel 7A, that is where your flight is unloading, I think you will recognize me, I am about six foot two, and wearing the black shirt and grey pants."

'Well, yes, I think I will know you then Mr. Black, besides, I think I saw a picture of you and Doctor Evans in my information packet anyway!" she hung up the phone, smiling to herself..oh John, my darling, I would know you in the dark!

Heading towards the carousel, she pulled the pins from her bun, and shook her hair down. The horrible cut given to her by Sami in the prison had grown out quite a bit, and what was not natural, was supplemented by extensions. She now sported a jet black head of hair, swinging down to the middle of her back. It was straight, but with an excellent cut, and the color worked with her blue green eyes. The hairbrushes quick strokes made it frame her face very attractively. The lipstick she applied completed the picture, and even though she had spent twelve uncomfortable hours on a plane, she looked very calm, cool, and collected as she went forward to meet the only man she had ever loved, and still loved. How long would it take to make him love her as well? Not too long once Marlena was removed from the picture.

John was leaning laconically against one of the pillars next to the baggage area. When she saw him, once again she felt that old familiar quickening of her heart. To long for someone for this many years and finally see them in the flesh, but not be able to just throw yourself into their arms was a form of torture worse than anything the sheikh had ever put her through. It was a hell that only thinking and dreaming of this moment had ever assuaged. She had fought so hard for John, fought hard and dirty. This time would be different though, she would win! A DiMera always won in the end. It was but a matter of time, and the right plan!

"Doctor LaDierma? My, Marlena did not tell me how beautiful you were!" John was always gallant, and he did mean it, for she was a very attractive lady. Even when she put the glasses on, it only added a trace of intelligence to the patrician face.

"A pleasure to meet you Mr. Black, and as I said, it is so appreciated for you to fetch me at such an hour! I am to be staying at a suite at the Salem Inn, I understand it is just around the corner from the hospital, so that will be convenient! Oh, look, we are in luck, those are my bags there!"

The conveyance was loaded up, and John laughed as he counted them up. "You must have really paid a lot to exceed the baggage allowance, it may have been cheaper just to charter a plane!"

" A lady needs to be properly accessorized Mr. Black, and who knows when I will get time to shop if your wife is a busy as you say", it was amazing to her how they could talk like this, so easy with each other. That was how it was before. Before Marlena had to ruin everything.

At the Inn, the porter took her bags up, and she turned once again to John.."please, may I buy you a drink, it would help me relax too..unless you are in a hurry?" her voice was persuasive, and John thought 'why not", Marlena was asleep anway, and he was a little keyed up himself. A drink sounded like a good idea.

She had a hard time believing how easily this was happening. His beer was left on the table, and he excused himself to use the mens room. Well, she thought, I may never get a chance as good as this one, so why not? She put the small drop of the drug in his beer, and used the swizzle stick from her drink to mix it in. Leaning back in her chair, she sipped her Cosmopolitan as she tapped her raptor fingernails on the glass. When his smile changed as he looked at her, she reached under the table to grasp his thigh. This was a drug used by the sheikh to enhance his ardor when he was sorely in need of it, but also a drug that added forgetfulness to the mix. A man under its influence did not remember he had a wife, and if he did, he would not care.

John's breath became heavier, and he took her hand to kiss the inside of her wrist. Now it was her turn to feel the excitement. She stood, pulling her skirt down, and reached for his hand. The elevator doors had barely closed when she fell on him, and he pulled her against him in a frenzied dance of pure animal need. When the doors opened they ran for the room as her fingers fumbled with the card key, until he took it from her in exasperation, and slid it to make the green light appear.

He tore open the buttons to her jacket and blouse, hiking up her skirt, and ripping the underwear away. The moment of passion was over quickly, and with it, John's sanity returned, along with a guilt that threatened to make him physically ill.

"What did you do to me?"His voice was accusing as he leveled his eyes on her, the eyebrow lifting. He seemed to be figuring something out, but could not quite put all the puzzle pieces together.

"I think, from the evidence in here, my clothing, these bruises, I should be asking you that question..John Black!"

The gun she had hidden in her luggage was now out, and pointed at him. "I had not thought to take you so soon, but when opportunity presents itself, my father always said, be prepared to act!"

'I do not think you are big enough to make me go anywhere whoever you are?"

"I know, I am not big enough..but Raphael is." And the gentlman who had been hiding in the bathroom area, and who had been highly amused by the antics he had been listening to came out, knocking John to the floor with the crunchion held in his hand.

**Chapter VII**

The clocks alarm went off at six thirty, and Marlena rolled over to seek the warmth of John in the bed. Startled at not finding him, she opened her eyes and saw the bed had not been disturbed on his side. Sitting up in the bed, she looked about for any sign he had been in the room at all last night. Seeing none, she put on her robe and headed down the stairs. Maybe he had been later than he had planned on, and had not wished to awaken her when he came to bed.

He was not downstairs either. She was trying to stay even minded about this, she did not need to be taking the medication this early, it would only exerbate the problem. Still, the edges of the ocean of panic were lapping at her feet, and she knew she had only a short time to keep from drowning it's waves. The pill was in her purse, she just had to make it over to the purse, open the purse, find the pill box and open it. That was all she had to do, but with John gone, it was harder and harder..where was the purse? Where did she leave it? It was on the desk, she fumbled with the clasp, and then it fell from her hands, spilling the contents on the floor, but worse, the pill box had flown under the sofa. Crawling on her hands and knees, she found it, and as she was about to lose her breath in the final spasm of the full blown panic attic, she managed to get the pill into her mouth!

It did not matter that the pill would not be taking effect for a few minutes at best, the fact that she had managed to get it into her mouth at all was a miracle. John should have been here with her! He knew he had to be with her when this happened or at least within phone distance. Where was he?

He woke up rubbing the back of his head, as he recalled the blow that had felled him. It hurt, and so did his conscious. He was now lying on a bed, but he was no longer in the hotel suite. The room was contained but had no door he could discern, or windows, and the only furnishing was this bed, and a stainless steel toiliet and sink in the corner. he could see the sun was just coming up. His watch showed him it was half past six, and he reached for his pants pocket to retrieve his phone.

"Mr. Black, I would not bother, your phone is in good hands. Mine." The mans voice had a slight Italian accent, and it mocked him. John decided it would be best not to take it to heart, just ask some questions, see if he got any answers.

"What in the hell do you want with me? And who is your boss lady?"

"Well, John, my darling, what I want is you. I want you back. That is all I have ever wanted."

"Kristen..."John had the puzzle partly solved, but he knew many pieces were still missing. His head still ached, and the pain reliever they had given him took effect once more and he slept on.

"Is my husband's car in the parking garage?" the question did not seem all that difficult to answer, and Marlena was about to be sharp with the attendant who finally was able to tell her no.

"Are you positive?" she did not mean to badger, but she had to have an answer. The terror was threatening to come back, and she needed John now!

"Doctor Evans, it don't look like he came back in last night to park..sorry ma'am, if I see him I'll shore tell him you need him right away..ok ma'am?' the attendant could sense the agitation in her voice, but gee whillikers, his job was to park the cars, not keep tabs on the owners!

Now the panic ocean was engulfing her, she had one more thought. John went to pick up Doctor LiDierma, she dialed the Salem Inn, and asked to be put through to that room. The device in the phone rolled it over to Kristens cell, but she saw the caller and answered "Doctor LaDierma here..who is this please..it is frightfully early!"

'Oh, oh, Doctor LaDierma,I do apologize for waking you, I know you had a long trip..but this is Marlena Evans here, I see you made it to the Salem Inn...good, but did my husband make it there to pick you up?"

"Umm no, was he supposed to? I have my assistant, Raphael with me, he rented a car, and brought me back to the suite. It is lovely too, thank you for finding me such wonderful accommodations! I love it here!"

"Oh, I must have given him the wrong flight information,"covering quickly, Marlena then said, "Well, Doctor LiDeirma.."

"Antonia, please, just call me Antonia!" Kristen smiled, she could almost see the torment on her rivals face through the phone, it was so pleasing to hear it after all these years she had suffered.

"Well, then Antonia, please let me have you for a lunch meeting on Thursday, that will give you time to rest and get settled, and you call me Marlena. I will have my secretary call and confirm. Sorry I can't chat longer, I must get off and get going on my day!"

"Of course, Marlena, I need to get on with mine as well". Kristen closed her phone and looked once again at the sleeping John. It would be a three day session, but by that time, he would be ready to do what he should have done years ago. Kill Marlena, and love the woman who was destined to be his soul mate! Her!

**Chapter VIII**

The arrival at the camp where they would pick up the horses that would take them into the back country was only two hours behind schedule. EJ had made up a lot of time, his ability to drive even the cumbersome SUV on the mountain roads in a swift and smooth manner had been helped along by the fact that the kids had all fallen asleep. EJ had popped a classic opera CD into the player and listening to it had calmed his edgy nerves considerably. As the tragic lamentations of Tosca discovering her beloved Cavardossi dead filled the interior of the car, the last bend in the road was rounded, and EJ pulled into the meadow where the horse camp and lodge lay like a beacon and an end to this really horrid day!

"Good to see you all got here safely, I was about to send out a search party" the host of the camp was already helping them to unload the gear, and handing it off to his helper. The kids all woke up, and piled out of the car, each one going in a different direction, with Sami hot on their tails, as visions of them lost in the woods edging the meadowed area filled her with dread.

"I wanta go pet the horsies!" Kacie was tugging at her mothers arm.

"I'm hungry, when do we eat?" Ace grabbed onto her other arm.

"Justin, Jessica..get the dogs back here! Put the leashes on them!" Sami saw the animals had gotten loose from the car and were excitedly heading towards the area where the horses were corralled.

'Ok kids, I am Jake, and this is Mikey, and you are gonna get one heck of a meal tonight, so have your ma take you up to the lodge there, wash up, and come on over to the chuck wagon over there, and our cookie will fix you all right up!"

The smells coming from that mobile kitchen were wafting over to them now, a blend of savory smells that was making their mouths water, and the kids eagerly headed in to cleanup. The novelty of this adventure was really getting to them now, they were going to eat out of a chuck wagon!

"Mr. Wells, I hope you all get a good nights sleep, we generally feed you breakfast at about five thirty in the morning, and at first light the horses set out to the camp in the back country."Jake gave these instructions with a tone of 'this is how it is around here, so follow my rules!'

"Oh, I am sure we will all sleep like babies. It has been a most trying day!" EJ turned to survey the entire property. He had purchased the land and the lodge recently, planning to keep it as a nature reserve, allowing only limited access to make sure it stayed unspoiled. From what he could see, Jake was a competent and conscientious steward, which meant he would be keeping his job. The lodge where they would spend the night was of a simple log construction, with a highly pitched roof of tin to make the snow slide off easier. It seemed in good repair, along with the outbuildings. A cheerful window box was filled with summer flowers, pansies, and a few snap dragons to make for a more homey look. EJ approved.

It was a lovely meadow area, green still for August, and the profusion of wildflowers with the lavender and gold contrasting with the green of the meadow grass was reminiscent of some of the meadow of the higher areas of Italy or Switzerland. Surrounded by the forested ridges of the Sierra Mountains, EJ could picture why Ansel Adams had love photographing this area, and the Yosemite Valley. It was beautiful, and EJ started to feel a lot better about this camping trip!

Dinner was eaten around the campfire, plates perched on laps, while they listened to Jake play his banjo, and sing some old campfire songs. The barbecued brisket, beans, biscuits and coleslaw were followed by some slices of apple pie with cream that even the weight conscious Sami devoured. Some of the other guests who were camping out in the adjacent camp grounds came to join the festivities. The evening went by very fast, and when bedtime came, there was no protest from the Wells kids, they trooped in to the bunk beds lining the main hall and once Mom and Dad had come round to tuck each one in, and kiss them all good night, it was off to dreamland.

EJ turned then to Samantha, "I think a nice shower would be the perfect end to this day, how about you Mrs. Wells?"

"I would love that Mr. Wells..after you?"

"No, this is the wilderness, and we need to conserve all resources. I cannot see wasting water, so we should, in the interests of conservation of course, shower together!" He emphasized his point by picking her up and carrying her into the bathroom.

Before he set her down, he gave her a long, lingering kiss. Her nose wrinkled, and he gave her a questioning look.

"You still smell a bit like puppy puke, but on you darling , it is sexy!" She kissed him, then, unbuttoning his shirt while he watched. It amazed him how she had the power to excite him by just that simple act. Her fingers on his skin were cool, but each place they touched began to burn. Controlling himself, though, he turned on the water to warm up before they finished undressing.

Sami laughed as they finished toweling each others backs, "I don't think that showering together saves a lot of water".

"It might not save water, but it saved my sanity! You are the best relaxing agent I have going for me, my love, a triple martini has nothing to compare with you!"

'Well, I hope that is enough for you for a few days, we can't be doing this sharing a tent with our kids" she giggled.

EJ swallowed hard as he remembered her admonition. "Well, then, maybe since we do have our own room for this night, we should continue this discussion in there, and see what it leads up to."

"EJ, we do need to get some sleep, I mean breakfast at 5:30? I cannot imagine what would taste good at that time of the morning!"

"Sleep is highly overrated, and we may just work up an appetite!" He pulled her naked body against his own, kissing her as he pushed her towards the bedroom.

**Chapter IX**

"Hey! Time to rise and shine..kids are up and raring to go! Mr. Wells, Mrs. Wells..breakfast is on, coffee is hot. See you in five minutes, time's a wasting!" Jakes cheery voice was like chalk on a blackboard to EJ, and he pried his eyelids open with his finger. The watch on the side table was barely readable in the darkness of the room until he switched on its light feature. Groaning, he saw it was indeed o'dark thirty something., and he slapped Samantha on the rump to rouse her, as she was very able to ignore most signals to awaken.

Slapping his hand away, she pulled the covers tighter around her in a classic tuck and roll maneuver. Now he would not be able to use his tickle torture against her, she had learned a few tricks in sleeping with him all these years. EJ decided the only way to win the battle was to employ the full on rip all covers off attack!

"Damn you, it is freezing in here!"She was now awake, rubbing her eyes, and other sore spots. It had been a very vigorous night. He tossed her the jeans she was planning on wearing, along with the other things she had laid out.

"Hurry up darling, the children are out there with Jake, and he may need protection!"

Thinking of the poor man in the clutches of Ace propelled Sami into her jeans and flannel shirt. Tucking it in, belting it, she turned to EJ for his opinion.

"You are magnificent as always! I am so happy to see your butt back the way it should be!"

"Thank you, I think. Wow! You look like a picture out of a Western, you know..Handsome Stranger!" she laughed, as the grouchiness of early morning left her and the excitement of this new experience with her family began to entertain her mind. There was always something new to write about with her family now!

"Okay folks, now listen up good, this is a wonderful way to see the back country, but we want ya'all to come back here safe and sound in five days ok?"

Justin was very attentive. He saw himself as second in command after EJ in protecting his Mom and brother and sisters. When Jake said to never leave out food stuffs they were not eating, explaining about the bears, Justin listened. When Jake told them the dogs must not ever be off leash, as bears were not fond of dogs, but mountain lions found them to be good eating, Justin listened.

EJ knew all of this from the reading he had done, but was proud to see his eldest son take such an interest in keeping all of them safe. Ace and Kacie were still too excited about the prospect of getting to ride a horse to listen to anything. Jessica was exercising her responsibility of seeing that the dogs were fed, walked, then put into the crate that would set atop the small wagon the pack horses would be pulling with all the equipment.

'It will take you about four hours to get to the site we picked for you. You might see a few hikers out there, nothing much else 'cept the occasional bear, or wolf, lots of deer, maybe a mountain lion. Don't worry, they all got plenty of food out there, so they ain't likely to wanna munch on ya'all. Keep your food in the bear lockers, and you should be fine."

Sami looked at EJ, the worry on her face showing, but he smiled in his confident way, and whispered into her ear, "I am the only wolf who may munch on you darling, relax, this is all perfectly safe. We are going to have an amazing time! Look at the kids, they are loving this! This is going to be a vacation we will remember all our lives."

"Why does that worry me?" was her thought, but she gamely put her foot into the stirrup of the dappled horse chosen for her and followed behind EJ. The two youngest were on smaller ponies, Kacie had gotten the blonde palomino colored one, Ace the chestnut. Justin and Jess were seated upon two white mares, and EJ had the jet black stallion. He was known to be the most intelligent animal on the place, and all agreed that their Dad looked almost as good as Zorro sitting astride the horse.

All were tethered together, and the horses knew where they were heading. They seemed to be willing enough to stay to the marked trail, the reason being they knew the campsite was their feeding station. Many treats awaited them there, carrots, sugar lumps, apples as well as some tasty oats. This was where they got their reward instead of the tedious hay fed them at the lodge. Ace and Kacie were looking forward to hand feeding their little ponies! The dogs yapped for awhile as they were pulled along, but finally they lay quietly, just watching the world go by or napping once in a while.

It was a moderate climb from the meadow floor to the alpine lake setting where the camp was waiting for them. Ace had already taken out his toy laser pistol, and was taking aim at the bandits he saw lurking behind every boulder. His imagination, and his inkling to want to be a secret agent man when he grew up were in full manifestation as he found and eliminated all the bad guys in the area. Kacie spent her time looking around, and fondly petting the mane of the horse. Jessica was trying out her new digital camera, and Justin was keeping a lookout for any and all dangers lurking out on the trail.

The hours of the ride went quickly, and when they reached the lakeshore, the horses led them down to the wooded area with a small clearing. They could see the fire circle, and the stack of cordwood that marked the spot they would camp out. EJ got the tent up quickly, with Justin and Ace's assistance. Both his sons were quick studies. Ace hammered in the stakes, while Justin and EJ tackled the job of lifting the tent onto the poles. The girls both pitched in making up the air mattresses with the sleeping bags, and Sami unpacked the foodstuffs into the bear proof locker.

"Why didn't we get a bear proof tent" she thought while setting the lock.

By the time the camp was fully pitched, it was time for some lunch. This meal had been packed by the lodge, and consisted of some meats and cheeses, bread, fruit, and bottled water. When it was finished, Justin dutifully collected all the trash in the bags provided. Everything hauled in was to be hauled out. There was also a bear proof area to collect rubbish in.

'So what do we have on for dinner" Sami asked of EJ, she figured he had it well in hand. When he pointed out to the lake, and the poles she got that worried look again. "EJ, what if we don't catch any thing, we cannot starve them!"

"The lake is stocked, apparently you just throw a hook out and fish jump on!"

By evening the catch consisted of a four inch trout that was not legal and had to be thrown back in. Dinner became pancakes from the mix, no butter, syrup that you had to make by mixing it with water, and a can of pork and beans. Water had to be drawn from the lake, boiled, then you add one of the tablets provided to purify it. The campfire was finally started, and the round of songs they sang were a lively way to end an evening that despite not being gourmet food was quite fun. When they all crawled into their sleeping bags, they were looking forward to the adventures awaiting them all the next day!

It was late into the night when Sami woke to the sound of her sleeping bag being unzipped. EJ's hand crept in to caress her, and she turned to him in exasperation. "What are you doing EJ, oh god, I know what you are doing..please..we can't"..

"Darling, I need you, desperately..please," and he continued his caress, smiling as he felt her giving in to her own need.

"The children..EJ..oh my.."her hands were now unzipping his side and beginning their own explorations.

"We will be quiet, I promise.."and she was not refusing him anymore, but helping him along.

"Daddy..daddy..hey, don't shake her, she's tired!" Ace was sitting on his haunches by their air mattress, he had to go to the bathroom, and could someone please take him huh?

**Chapter X**

Marlena made her self get ready for work and head into the office. It would not do for her colleagues to start diagnosing her. She knew what she had, and she was treating it on her own. Knowing John would have disapproved, she kept that part from him, as far as he knew, another doctor on staff was administering her meds, and giving her counseling. Her hands shook as she took out another of the small pink pills she had been taking. If it had been her own patient, she would have been alarmed at what was going on, but this was different. she knew what she was doing.

Once in the office, she closed the door, leaned against it, wiping the sweat off her brow with a Kleenex. She looked at the phone, and finally decided she did have to call someone, but who? The only one she could think of who would not call in the police would be Bo Brady. It just would not do to have the police coming in to this just yet, what if John was just wanting time to himself? She had not been the easiest person to live with for the past year. The trauma of knowing Kristen was out there somewhere, just biding her time was making her life a living hell. She did not think that Kristen would come to exact revenge, she knew it. The only question was how and when. Daring not to voice what was really frightening her was what if is was now, and John was missing because of that? The idea was ridiculous, she knew that, but it did not stop her from thinking about it anyway.

"Jenny, please make sure I save a luncheon appointment on Thursday for the new Doctor, her name is Doctor La Dierma, get us reservations at Chez Rouge for around twelve thirty. Marlena looked at her blackberry to see if there was anything else she needed to remember. Then she dialed Bo's number.

'Hey Marlena, what's up?" Bo was up on a ladder doing some last minute adjusting of the new ceiling fans he had installed in the Pub.

She had not meant to lose it, but it was so hard nowadays, and with John not here, the thought and the fear she had that Kristen was coming finally broke down her walls, and she sobbed into the phone, which caught Bo off guard. He climbed down from the ladder, and began asking her questions.

"He hasn't called, and did not come home last night? The woman he was supposed to pick up says he did not show up at the airport? Ok..look, let me check with airport security, if he got there his car will be on the films. If he calls you, though, let me know ok, so I won't have to pull any strings and bring attention to it anyway."

Kristen lay down next to John, administering the drug once again, as Raphael looked on. "I suppose I should make some arrangements to take care of those films at the airport. No problem with them seeing him come in, we just don't want them seen leaving with you. As for the bartender downstairs, well, we won't have much to worry about with him. I thought I saw the manager interviewing someone else as I came up."

"I have always admired your efficiency Raphael, I am going to need a lot of that in the next couple of days. John's programming is very deeply imbedded now, he is probably the only mind controlled pawn who was ever able to shake it off. I cannot believe I helped him to overcome that..if I had not, he would be mine even now. He is all I have ever wanted you know, and soon he will be mine. I am going to make him so happy..and now..what is the status of the diamonds..is the sale complete?"

"Oh yes, we got top price for them, and the money is being wired from London probably as we speak. You will not be hurting in that department. Now, if he is properly conditioned, we need to begin his reindoctrination." Raphael had a speciality. He was not muscle, but could act that way in a pinch as long as the element of surprise was with him as it had been last night. Raphael was more of a mental expert. He knew what triggered a persons mind to respond the way it was supposed to. The right drugs, the right suggestions, the right stimulus, and anyone could become what John once was. An assassin who killed who he was told to kill. He did not ask why, that was not in the program.

The images projected now into Johns brain were wrenchingly painful, horrid to watch, but as the images kept coming, more brutal and bloody by the second, from the first reaction of dread and horror came the first smile of pleasure.

"That was quicker than I had thought possible, he is almost ready. Damn! I do good work don't I?'

John opened his eyes, looked at Kristen with no sense of remembering he had a wife who was waiting for him, he only had eyes for Kristen at this moment. He knew instinctively who she was, and he knew he loved her. Her hand reached out to stroke his face, and he covered her hand with his own, turning his cheek into the coolness she offered. This felt as right as he could ever imagine. He felt as though he was home. After so many years of fighting who and what he really was, he was once again himself. Sleep overtook him again, as the programming was an exhaustive process. Most who underwent it lost ten percent of their body weight in sweat and other bodily fluids. The pan next to his bed had caught most of what he had thrown up, and Raphael removed it to the bathroom to clean up the mild stench.

"Will you be alright here while I take care of security at the airport?"

"I will be perfectly fine, take your time, but do it right. No loose ends for my father to have to fret about. You know he was not keen on this idea. Then again, he owed me big time as you know!" Kristen had been left to languish in a prison, after having spent a lot of time in the harem of a sheikh who had thrown her aside for a younger, but dumber woman. Kristen had paid him back by making sure she embezzled a good deal of his oil profits, diverting them to one of her fathers accounts.

It had finally come to Stefanos notice what she had done, so he had arranged for her "release". God what a bunged up job that had been too! If she had not been quick on her feet, and able to converse in Turkish, she might still be rotting in that hell hole. A year of being free, studying, and changing her appearance and accent was how she kept busy. It was also a time to arrange her new identity. It amused her for her name to be an anagram of DiMera, would the very stupid Marlean figure it out before she died? Kristen really hoped in a way, the last thought in the mind of her rival would be the realization of who she had lost her life to.

Raphael pulled over next to the River, looked about to make sure he was not going to be observed, The body of the bartender was weighted down and stuffed into a plastic bag. It made a splash as it hit the rivers surface, bobbed about a second, then sank beneath the swirling waters. He then donned the uniform of an airport security detail. He so loved some aspects of the Homeland Security Act. It made many things easier on him, since everyone assumed that everyone else was assuming it was an act guaranteeing security! Within two hours, he had erased every system in the place for the prior twenty four hours. No one would want to admit this had happened on their watch, so the implication would be that nothing at all had happened during that time. Raphael understood how well the psychology of cover my own ass worked in all workplaces.

Now if any one cared to investigate where John had really been, there would be nothing to show he had ever been at the airport. It was all taken care of. Raphael pulled off the uniform in the mens room, and put on his own clothes for the drive back to the Inn. He had earned his five thousand a day fee today and then some.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hearts and Diamonds**

**The Wells family is together again as a whole unit. While they continue to bond as a family, the tentacles of the DiMera legacy still reach out, and trouble cannot be far behind. The Brady's of Salem are still reeling from the losses they have suffered, and the Kirakis scores have yet to be settled.**

**Chapter I**

Ace raced down the stairs, this was the day! He had marked it off on the calendar along with Kacie for the past week. This was their real, honest to goodness birthday, and it would be the first party he had ever had. Kacie had a date on her birth certificate, but now she too had the real honest to goodness date. EJ had spent a great deal of time and used all of his persuasiveness on getting Lexie to recall just when the twins had been born. Her defiance had more to do with wanting to forget what had been forced on her than dislike of the children, so finally she had worked it out with EJ, and it had not cost him all that much either.

August 12, 2009, and it was now 2014, he was five years old, so was Kacie...and his cake was going to be chocolate with mint frosting, the ice cream was going to be mint chocolate chip, and it was going to have a dolphin on it. Kacie wanted a princess cake, and strawberry ice cream, but there was no accounting for taste! He already knew what he was going to wish for, he had given up on the dolphin, but not on this wish. Mom knew, Dad knew, now it was just a matter of them pulling it together for him.

The yard was set up for the party. EJ looked out at what Samantha had set up, amazed at what a childs birthday party could end up being nowadays. To Sami, this was her way of making up to both of the children the time they had been lost, Kacies' illness, Aces being shoved from place to place, and finally the ordeal of being held as a hostage to a legacy they should have remained innocent of. The trauma of just getting over everything had been a years worth of dealing with their fears and anxieties. The children had been very resilient, but Sami knew there were still scars left. This party was also a big part of the healing process. She wanted it to be perfect! EJ just wanted it to be over!

There were three bounce houses out on the lawn, a clown who was hired to do face painting, a rock climbing wall, pony rides, and a batting cage for the bigger boys and girls to test their skills. Justin was already inside that one, whacking away as the balls came whizzing out of the chute. Jessica was over by the pony with Kacie, the two of them were feeding them some of the carrots set out in the bucket.

EJ thought he had seen it all, until the dance floor was being laid down, and the six piece band started setting up.

"Samantha!" he caught up to her, as she was giving final orders to the caterer who was working with Alfred the cook.

"Ok, yes, these canapés should be perfect, the shrimp cocktails should be kept in the frig inside, until 3, we don't want anyone getting ill!"

"Samantha, I am the one who is getting ill, this is not a party for two five year olds, this is bigger than our wedding reception!"EJ looked exasperated.

"Please, EJ, let me get this finished, go watch Justin bat, he has been waiting on you for an hour! He wants to show you how fast he can take a pitch!" She had really tried to keep the scope of the party under wraps from him, fearing just such a reaction!

"Why is all this necessary? A band? For a bunch of kids?"

"Well I am sure they would enjoy some good music too, but no, the band is for the parents to dance to." Sami looked at him with a 'please, EJ, let me get this back on schedule!' kind of look.

"Just how many are we to expect for this shindig?" EJ was starting to get worried, Samantha had never been know to be this extravagant, it was usually him who went top heavy for entertaining.

"I have RSVP's from two hundred and seventy five, but I have had Tippin calling for people I may have forgotten, EJ, I want everyone here who was so kind to us when we got back..I would feel awful if I slighted anyone!"

"Yes, that would be terrible if anyone in the town of Salem was forgotten" EJ shrugged, then went over to the batting cage. He knew there was nothing to be done about it now, but swore he would be more involved in the other twins birthday party. He looked in the box for a cricket bat, and finding none, he headed inside to get one, since he had never gotten the hang of the feel of an American bat.

Ace watched his brother for a bit, but baseball was not what he was interested in today. His mind was on the pile of presents, and he wanted to know if what was on his wish list was in the pile. Inky trailed alongside him, still a puppy in mind and soul, but the slight graying of his muzzle and his penchant for more and longer naps was evident to both Sami and EJ. Calling him to follow, Ace ruffled the neck of the little cocker who looked at him with a pair of black fringed brown eyes that melted with love.

Spying what he thought was the most likely package, Ace picked up the roundness of the wrapped gift and shook his fist in a YES! It was a sleeping bag, and when he looked at the pile, he counted out several more just like it. He had been bringing down the catalogue for a couple of weeks to pore over it and show the different pictures to his parents.

"See, we can sleep in this side of the tent, you and Mom take the middle, and Kace and Jess over here. We can cook on this stove, it is a Coleman! Then we cut wood for fires with this axe. We can catch fish to eat, and pick berries, take our baths in the lake! That would be so much fun!"

His enthusiasm had won over his brother and sisters. Mom and Dad however, were not quite so convinced.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like a new bike..or a trampoline.."Sami was not sure she was the camping type.

"Maybe it would be best to rent some kind of conveyance, like a motor home, or a travel trailer" EJ suggested hopefully, but knowing his son as he did, he figured it was a lost cause.

"No..that would not be real camping..I want to go real camping! Uncle Bo says it is the best way to do it, under the stars and out with the.."

"Bears and wolves" Sami had finished. Though in the end, they had agreed to give their son his wish.

That night in bed, EJ had pulled her in next to him, even though the night had been warm. "Have you ever been camping young lady?" he smoothed her hair, which had grown out to chin length, and was now worn in a sophisticated shaggy cut.

"Are you kidding? My idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn with no coffee shop!"

'How are we going to do this in a tent? With our children on either side of us?" he was slipping the straps of her nightgown down as he asked the question, and moved his lips to where the straps had been..

"EJ, we may have to..."she was going to say something, but his lips made her gasp, as she pulled him atop her to look him in the eye.

"have to what?, tell me..what will we do?" He was teasing her as he spoke.

"EJ, we may have to just wait to make love until we get back from the week of camping!"

"I knew I would hate it!"

**Chapter II**

Kate was with Carrie, sipping her cocktail while looking out at Victor on the dance floor with Hana.

"I do not understand that at all, he is acting like he thinks he is half his age!" Kate was perturbed enough at having been dragged to this overblown birthday party as it was, but Phillip had insisted they had to show for appearances sake.

"I think it is sweet, she takes such good care of him, like she did Lucas I hear". Carrie rather enjoyed sticking it to her former mother in law, remembering how she had been thrown aside by Austin, and how little Kate had supported her. At that moment, Lloyd came up to offer Carrie a glass of champagne. His arm slipped about her, and he whispered in her ear, asking her to join him on the dance floor. Matthew had a partner on the floor too, Kacie was dancing with him, standing upon his shoes as he moved around the floor and looking up at him adoringly. Besides her Daddy, Matthew was her second best guy. When she saw Carrie and Lloyd dance by them, she smiled and waved hi to her "Aunt Carrie and Uncle Lloyd.". She had acted as a flower girl at their wedding. Carries's heart still caught a bit when she saw her niece, but Carrie had accepted that this was the relationship she had with the little girl now, and she loved her as much as she ever had. With Sami and EJ, she had a quiet truce to help keep the relationship.

Kacie was dressed in a pale yellow frock, her pigtails tied at the ears with matching ribbons which she really hated! The chemo she had undergone three years ago had kept her hair from growing back very fast, still it was the pigtails that annoyed her the most! They came to just about ear level, and poked her constantly. She so wanted the long lustrous curls of Jessica, and Mom kept saying they would come, but it was taking so long! Matthew, though, he just smiled at her and said she was pretty, and he loved her dress, her hair, and the little white shoes that had the taps on the bottom! As she danced with him, she smiled out at Chelsea, not minding her competition for his heart this time.

Justin had come to sit next to his Popa John and Gran Marlena. He never understood why she was always so uncomfortable with him, but he withstood her stiffness to enjoy the company of Popa. They would talk baseball for as long as they could, and John would always start a pick catch game with him and whoever else wanted to play. Marlena seemed already wanting to leave, and John would ignore her signals until he saw she seemed too agitated to stand the pressure anymore. Her nervousness had less to do with what she felt towards the children, or any guilt she had, it was due to her nightmares about Kristen. John had held her in his arms several nights as she had begun screaming out his name to help her as she had remembered being in this very house with Kristen holding her prisoner in the room walled off from the wine cellar. When John walked off with Justin, she had felt the anxiety returning, so she slipped one of her pills out from her purse, swallowing it with a bit of the glass of wine she was sipping.

Only Kate had noticed Marlena taking the medication, and she smiled to herself with a bit of satisfaction. She had always wondered when exactly the weakness she always knew Marlena had would manifest itself.

"John deserting you again, you really should hold your man on a tighter leash, never know what he may get into if you don't."Kate did not wait for an invitation to sit, and Marlena did not extend one either.

"How have things been at the hospital? Any new neuroses cropping up?" her voice was calm and whispery, but Kate always had a venomous undertone.

"I have been working hard, if that is what you mean. The hospital is putting on additional staff next month though, we have a new psychologist coming on board from London. That should take some of the load off". Marlena was polite, not taking the bait that Kate was swirling under her nose.

"Wonderful, you look as though you need the rest. Well, I must run and mingle now, Sami might think I did not appreciate being invited if I don't ".

"She said she does not want to cut you out of Kacie'.s life, you were once her grandmother too."

"Yes, I remember. The things I do for my children, now I have only Philip who ignores me and Billie, who she wants nothing to do with me at all. I should never have bothered. Maybe my sons would still be alive" her voice and eyes went distant.

Philip danced with Annaliese, and she admired the ring on her finger. He had replaced her original one with one that had a couple more carats, and she now seemed satisfied.

"Soon, I want to make a baby with you Annaliese, and no more stalling!" His grip on her hand had gone from firm to cruel, and she yanked it away. This bargain she had made with this devil was turning out to make her pay a heavier price than she had counted when she had turned to him after Austin had been killed. Not only did she still have Kate as the mother in law from Hell, now she had the husband from the same part of the universe to contend with. His bitterness with his first wife carried over to her, and she had the bruises to prove it. When he saw Shawn and Belle glide past, his eyes had raked over Belle, making Annaliese laugh at him.

"La Belle, she is with her handsome husband, and looking most content. Pregnant again, and I spoke to her earlier..it is a son, mon ami! I guess they do not need to use the test tube method, they do things the old fashioned way!" her laugh in his ear was mocking of him and again, he gripped her cruelly, trying to hurt her as much as he could. However, she had tired of his games, and in a move she knew he would not anticipate, she had kicked out at his artificial leg, knowing it would go skidding across the floor, as he fell down, sprawling at the feet of Belle and Shawn.

Shawn had offered his hand, and Belle had retrieved the metal leg fitting, but Phillip had merely scowled, and ignored the outstretched palm. From Belle he took the leg, and struggled over to a chair, sitting and replacing the prosthesis once more. His face was red from the humiliation, and he would speak to no one as he reattached his leg. He glared as he saw EJ approach Annaliese.

"Interesting dynamic between the two of you. How long has it been this way between you love birds?"

She turned her cats green eyes upon EJ, sizing him up and finding him to be most pleasing to her predatory instincts.

"Mr. Wells..you do ask the most impertinent questions. However, I love impertinent questions..so the answer is...from probably the first time he ever made love to me..if you could call it that..he tends to make up for his inadequacies by playing rough..if you know what I mean".

"I do apologize, I had no intention of prying".

"Oh, well that is a shame, I was so looking forward to laying my life out for you to enjoy!"

"Yes, well, thank you, but I see my lovely wife is looking for me now..do excuse me" EJ beat the hasty retreat, but making mental notes of all she had said, and all he had seen. He had yet to deal with Phillip or Victor, living in the same town as them made them a bit more invulnerable. To come out and accuse them of being responsible for the deaths and the explosions at the Pub would have come as hard to believe for a community who though of them as pillars of the town, and major employers as well. EJ knew, as a patient man, there would come the right time to bring them down, no one could hide a crime like that forever.

**Chapter III**

To Sami, the party was coming together quite nicely, the children were enjoying all the activities, as were the adults. A party like this was a rarity in Salem anymore since the tragedy. It was time to bring them back. Sami had mourned for her grandparents, been shocked at the loss of both Lucas and Austin, but she wished them peace in their next lives. Bo and Hope had just finished rebuilding the Pub, and another party was going to be scheduled for the grand opening in October. Sami had offered to help with those festivities, and this was all good practice.

On her cue, the band had started up some country music, and she had run to get Hope, Chndler, Marlena, Maggie, Chelsea, Belle, Carrie and Billie out on the floor to start up some line dancing! The boot scooting boogie soon had fifty people out on the floor, with EJ and Harris standing on the sidelines clapping and laughing as Bo and John got totally messed up in the step sequence, but Sami, having none of that from the sidelines ran and pulled them into the action! When the abaya wearing Hana pulled Victor out onto the floor, it seemed as though miracles were occurring. Only Kate and Philip glared from the sidelines, as Annaliese made her way into the line.

"I told you what would happen if you married that little witch!" Hissed Kate.

"Unless you wanted to see your only grandson move back to Switzerland, you should be grateful that I kept them here!"

"Other ways could have been tried". Kate huffed, and Phillip knew what she meant, but for all that they were often at each others throats, Annaliese did have the power to excite him, he liked the bitch in her, and taming it was a challenge he enjoyed.

"And what of Hana? Has Victor turned her into a pet or something?" it was galling to see the old fool out there with that woman, and Kate felt it made him look especially idiotic with her still in that ridiculous fashion of dress.

"Pop said if I touched a hair on her head, he would see me out on the street driving a cab!" He also hated the influence the mously little woman exerted over his father. Almost any moment he had free, Victor wanted to be in her presence. He offered no apology for it, and dared anyone question him about why he felt this way about her. Phillip downed the beer and headed back for another.

Theo looked around, finally running into Zach and Justin at the batting cages. His mom had dropped him off, and drove off. She still hated being around crowds, preferring to sit at home alone, once in awhile talking on the phone with a caller she would never identify to him. Her legal problems had been fixed by Uncle EJ, but she still was unable to work. Theo had been assured by his uncle that he was going to take care of that, and soon Lexie would regain her respected place in the community.

"Your mother has suffered enough, Theo, and you need her to be able to raise and support you, with your father still ill. I will help her, just be patient."EJ put his arm about Theo's shoulders as he said all of this, then he had left him at the batting cages as he got back to Samantha and the party.

As they walked among the guests, arms about each others waists, they greeted and mingled with the people of Salem. It had been over a year since they had gotten to be a full fledged family again, and besides all of the struggle of pulling their lives back together, they had been deeply involved in getting Salem back together, a town that had been through so much since that horrible night. EJ and Sami had donated the money and land for a park memorializing those who had died that night, and it was soon to be dedicated.

The Brady Pub was reopening and Bo and Hope were going to operate it, with the help of Belle and Shawn. It had been a while in getting their lives back on track, Shawn had a lot of issues he had worked on over the last two years. Belle had been patient, and finally with the chance to run the business with her, and his Mom and Dad, he had conquered the anger that had plagued him as a young man. He would never be a business tycoon like Phillip, but he was happiest tinkering with a motor anyway.

Bo had left the dance floor after executing a credible "boot scoot' dance, to head over to talk to his father, Victor. He never really felt Victor was his Dad, but he was his Father. There was a difference, and they both knew it.

"Bo...nice party, I am enjoying it immensely." Victor was cool, but cordial. Hana, as always sat on the ground at his feet, looking up at him, trying to anticipate his every need. When his cigar seemed to have an ash ready to fall, she moved the ashtray to capture it.

"Yeah, Victor, this is quite a shindig..but I must say, I am surprised you would want to attend a birthday party for EJ and Sami's kids. Did not know the little snips meant that much to you!"

"They would be Carolines grandchildren as well, would they not, and you know how I felt about your mother..I loved her almost all my life..I still cherish her memory, and these children are her memory! I think Ace is almost the most fearless child I have ever heard of, and Kacie, well she is the image of Caroline to me!"

"Glad to hear you say that Victor, I would hate for anymore accidents to happen to anyone connected to the Brady family ever again."

"Bo, I would hate that as well..Hana, could you bring me a glass of iced tea, my dear?"

Bo watched the woman walk gracefully across to the bar area. "Personal question, but your relationship with Hana strikes a lot of people as rather odd, care to fill me in on what is going on with you and her?"

"She calms me down, and as the recipient of the heart of the man she loves, she feels Lucas lives on in me..I am the heart of Lucas, she says. It is nice to have someone who feels you can do no wrong Bo, it is comforting to have someone who just wants to be around you. Hana expects nothing from me, asks nothing of me, all she wishes is for me to be happy. It is lovely,. rather selfish of me sometimes, but I just can't give her up."

It was almost dusk when the two giant cakes were wheeled out, and the two guests of honor lined up to blow out candles and open gifts. When Ace got the the camping equipment he pumped his fist up and down, calling out "Yes!" His dream was going to come true with a trip to the Yosemite National Park.

Kacie was rewarded with her fondest wish too, in the person of a small bundle of fur that Inky was also interested in. A new puppy had joined the Wells household. Tan and pink tongued, the little golden lab promised to grow into her paws in no time at all, but for now, Kacie could hold her with no trouble, as the puppy licked and gave the wet nose of love to her new mistress. Tippin, of course, remembering the old housebreaking ordeals with Inky forced his smile to beam on his little mistress. Ahh well, life in this house was at least never dull..always a new challenge!

**Chapter IV**

She put her valise up in the overhead, vowing to never again fly coach. The two seats in her row were already occupied with one very overweight lady who was taking up a seat and a half, and the other seat was filled by a young boy who looked to be about seven. It was soon apparent they were mother and son, nd giving a sigh of resignation, she resolved to make the best of a bad situation As she sat down in the aisle seat, the woman on the inside next to the window decided she had to use the loo. Her smile was stretched across her face, but she decided this might be a time to ask if the woman would rather have the aisle. The gratitude on her face was all the answer needed by Kristen. Settling herself in next to the window, it was more comfortable now, and she would not be as disturbed if the woman had to move again.

She wanted the time to study her new identity, get familiar with all the jargon she would have to use as the newest staff psychologist on staff at Salem University. Buying a new identity was never cheap, but this identity had cost a kings ransom. Stefano had not balked when she told him she needed a lot of money. After all, what is money for, if not to help the ones you love. What she planned to do with it, he did not care, there was so little left of amusement in his life since Ace had left, his considerable assets were at her disposal. Soon she was equipped with a degree, a phony but verifiable work history, and letters of reference from some very esteemed colleagues who knew what was good for them.

The flight into Salem would be twelve hours and a few minutes. Though she might have preferred silence and the chance to study the young boy immediately started a conversation with her, so rather than fight it she used it to practice her newfound accent, and her new identity. To her delight though,he proved to be a source of invaluable information.

"Hi, I'm Andy, I go to school in Salem..do you live in Salem, are you from Salem, what is your name? Does that hurt?" he was pointing to the severe bun her black hair was pinned into.

"Well hello Andy, I am glad to make your acquaintance. No, this hairstyle is one that is necessary for my profession, I need to look like I am in charge, "she laughed as she said it, but was thinking, maybe I should let my hair down just a bit, come to think of it, I am in a slight bit of pain.

" My name is Doctor Antonia LaDierma, and yes I am going to be living in Salem..but I am not from Salem, I have lived and studied in London for quite some time, but I am originally from Florence, Italy. Have you learned about Florence in your Geography classes?"

"Sorry Lady, I am just in the third grade, never heard of that one. But we went to see my Grandma in London..now I have to come back and go to school next month. I go to school in Salem at Roman Brady Elementary. It got named after a cop who died. I go to school with his grandson and granddaughter. Justin is my best friend, he has a sister her name is Jessica. She is pretty, but I told Justin not to tell her I said that!

"Oh, so you go to Roman Brady Elementary school, and your best friend is Justin, would that be Justin Wells?"

"Yeah, how did you know that?" Andy was surprised. "We are on the same soccer team too, he is really good at it."

"Andy, I used to watch EJ Wells race a long time ago, and I still keep on his career from time to time. But tell me more about your friends! What is Jessica like, besides being very pretty!?'

It was a long conversation, and soon she was asking him and his mother to please call her Antonia..it was her way of getting used to the alias. Being a natural actress was second nature to her, and soon she found herself actually believing her name was Antonia.

"You have spent the night with the family of the race driver, EJ Wells? Ohh, my, what does their house look like..is it very big?"

"Yes, it is monstrous big! It used to be a bad guys house, but not now. It was the DiMera house, lots of people got kilt there, but it is ok now!"

"Oh, yes I have heard there was supposed to be lots of tunnels and secret passages there! Have you ever seen anything like that there?"

"No, mamm, Justin and Jessica said their daddy fixed all that. He was afraid they might get locked up or sumpin..but they do have a big swimming pool, and some dunes for riding motor bikes. Their mom kinda does not like it when we do that, but Mr. Wells says it is ok, long as we follow all the rules. I just love going to their house. I would go there when we get home, but they are gonna be gone on a camping trip til just before school starts!"

"Camping? I have never been camping. Where do they go camping at?"Antonia was keenly interested in this bit of information.

"Well, Justin said he thought it would be at Yosemite. His dad bought some land near there, so they was gonna go see it, then go in. They are backpacking in on horses! That sounds like so much fun! Justin says they gotta take their own food, and keep it away from the bears! I could keep bears away, know how to do it Antonia?"

"I'm sure I have not a clue! How do you keep bears away/"

As Andy gave out his plan for scaring bears away, her mind traveled to the myriad tunnels of escape Stefano had laid out in the old DiMera Mansion. Unless EJ was still involved in a lot of construction projects on the house, there was no way he could have blocked them all. The Wells family would also be gone for awhile on this camping trip. It was almost as though a higher power or a lower one was making this all so much easier for her than she had hoped it could be!

The child finally had slept, and his mother had pulled a blanket over him. Kristen complimented her on what a nice boy he was, and she had beamed.

'Yes, he is a handful sometimes, but he is a good boy, we lost his father awhile back. There was a terrible bombing of a local pub. He was just there to give a friend who had had a bit too much to drink a lift home, and got caught up in it. This friend of his he was talking about, Justin..well his Mom and Dad have been so good to us. Paid for this trip to see my mom, my Andrews funeral expenses, and gave me a job even. Those folks are a blessing to Salem. They may be from DiMera stock, but all they have been is good for the town of Salem, just fine folks!"

"Well then, I hope I quickly learn to know them! I will be working with Mrs. Wells mother you know, Dr. Marlena Evans!"

**Chapter V**

The porters unloading the Mythic Jet were used to a lot of sights, but to unload a bunch of camping equipment from a luxury private jet was a first for all of them. Fresno Airport was a small one, and soon, many of the employees were also checking out this strange sight.

Tippin was fretting, there was no way the family could possibly survive this week, and he was loathe to let them go off on their own like this. However the Mr.'s instructions were written, and he was to follow them to the letter. He was only to check off that all the items were loaded onto the top of the rented SUV, and then let them go off on their own as a family on a camping adventure. Tippin was to wait at a local hotel, and they would contact him when they were on their way back down from the wilderness. She was doing her best not to show it, but Tippin could see the Mistress was worried as well.

"You there, be sure the tent is secure, and those sleeping bags, tie them up tight now!"

"Tippin, it says from this point on the map on there is no cell service, what if we have an emergency?"

"Please don't have one madam, just please don't!"

EJ came up just then, after finishing another business related call. "Well, now,looks like we are all loaded up..Tippin, great job as usual! Shall we do a nose count, then carry on?"

"Line up now my little soldiers!" EJ called out to the kids. Ace was first in line, holding the dancing Inky on his leash. Kacie had fought for the right to bring Sophie, her little lab who was already bigger than Inky! Justin was helping her to control the puppy, who was threatening to yank her down the tarmac with her enthusiasm and happiness at being off the plane. Jessica was last down the stairs, as she had spent a lot of time in the cockpit, she was dreaming of being a pilot already!

Tippin stood and waved them off. Be still, he told himself, it is only a week! What could possibly go amiss in one short week?

"Daddy how much further? When do we get to the horse camp? How many more miles?"

"Well now Ace, it is approximately sixty eight miles which will take us a little over an hour depending on traffic" EJ was patience itself as he gave Ace this information.

Ten minutes later as they made it onto the freeway onramp from the airport came the plaintive plea of Kacie, "Daddy, I hafta go pee pee!"

As EJ waited for all four of the kids and Samantha to emerge from the station bathroom, his watch showed they were only slightly off schedule. He took the time to walk the dogs, and give them both some water. When everyone was back into the car, he again made his way onto the on ramp. Ten miles up the road, the second shoe dropped!

"EWWWW! Daddy! Daddy! Stop the car, stop it now!"Sophie is throwing up"Jessica sounded the alarm as the pup's digestive track had taken all it could with the plane ride, the car ride and the strange water.

It only took and hour to clean out the car, change the clothes of Jessica and Kacie who had taken the brunt of the bilious assault and they were once again on their way.

Sami was taking most of this in stride, as this was almost every day stuff to her as the designated soccer mom. She could see him begin to grip the wheel in a white knuckled way.He led a very disclipined life most times, things were just expected to go his way. His household ran on rails, that was what he paid Tippin for. The children were mostly neat and tidy, he tolerated some muss, but an animal throwing up in his car was not his usual circumstance. Checking the GPS on the dash, Sami prayed the remaining miles would go without a hitch.

"I don't friggin believe this!" EJ was fuming as Samantha came up to caution him on his language in front of the children. The back tire was flat, not only flat, but with a big flap of rubber hanging loose.

"Don't worry, Daddy, I can help. I help Harris with the quads all the time!" and Justin was as good as his word as he found the tool to unscrew the brackets holding the spare under the vehicle carriage. To the relief of EJ, it was a proper tire, not a blasted doughnut! Sleeves rolled up, he began to take the lug nuts off the flat tire, and get the new one situated on the car. In almost no time at all they were rolling again, but EJ knew they needed to find a station and purchase another tire.

"It says here there is a town just about eight miles up, called Coarsegold! I bet we can get a tire there honey!"

"Daddy, how much further? How many more miles, what time is it? What time do we get to the horse camp? I'm hungry, we got any snacks?"Ace it seemed was always in a growth spurt nowadays, and it was impossible to get him satisfied!

EJ was thinking back to what Samantha had said about it probably not being a good idea for them to make love during the week they would be sharing the tent with the kids. He found the solace of Samantha to always be a balm for what ever ailed him during the day. Groaning aloud at the thought of what he was going through now, he wondered if there might be a headline reading "Father Goes Mad, Eats Entire Family!" by the end of the week!

**Chapter VI**

As soon as she had cleared the customs and was on the way to baggage, she stopped to listen to the page: "Doctor Antonia LaDierma, white courtesy phone please!"

"This is Doctor LaDierma" she waited to see who was on the line, as she had made no arrangements.

"Hello Doctor, this is John Black, my wife is Doctor Marlena Evans, your soon to be colleague. She asked me to pick you up, and get you to your hotel. Cabs can be hard to come by this time of the evening.

"Oh, my, I am so sorry to put you to this kind of trouble..but thank you, I was worried about how to find my way around, you are too kind!"

"Hey, you are gonna be my lifesaver, keep my wife from working all the hours on the clock! I will meet you at baggage carousel 7A, that is where your flight is unloading, I think you will recognize me, I am about six foot two, and wearing the black shirt and grey pants."

'Well, yes, I think I will know you then Mr. Black, besides, I think I saw a picture of you and Doctor Evans in my information packet anyway!" she hung up the phone, smiling to herself..oh John, my darling, I would know you in the dark!

Heading towards the carousel, she pulled the pins from her bun, and shook her hair down. The horrible cut given to her by Sami in the prison had grown out quite a bit, and what was not natural, was supplemented by extensions. She now sported a jet black head of hair, swinging down to the middle of her back. It was straight, but with an excellent cut, and the color worked with her blue green eyes. The hairbrushes quick strokes made it frame her face very attractively. The lipstick she applied completed the picture, and even though she had spent twelve uncomfortable hours on a plane, she looked very calm, cool, and collected as she went forward to meet the only man she had ever loved, and still loved. How long would it take to make him love her as well? Not too long once Marlena was removed from the picture.

John was leaning laconically against one of the pillars next to the baggage area. When she saw him, once again she felt that old familiar quickening of her heart. To long for someone for this many years and finally see them in the flesh, but not be able to just throw yourself into their arms was a form of torture worse than anything the sheikh had ever put her through. It was a hell that only thinking and dreaming of this moment had ever assuaged. She had fought so hard for John, fought hard and dirty. This time would be different though, she would win! A DiMera always won in the end. It was but a matter of time, and the right plan!

"Doctor LaDierma? My, Marlena did not tell me how beautiful you were!" John was always gallant, and he did mean it, for she was a very attractive lady. Even when she put the glasses on, it only added a trace of intelligence to the patrician face.

"A pleasure to meet you Mr. Black, and as I said, it is so appreciated for you to fetch me at such an hour! I am to be staying at a suite at the Salem Inn, I understand it is just around the corner from the hospital, so that will be convenient! Oh, look, we are in luck, those are my bags there!"

The conveyance was loaded up, and John laughed as he counted them up. "You must have really paid a lot to exceed the baggage allowance, it may have been cheaper just to charter a plane!"

" A lady needs to be properly accessorized Mr. Black, and who knows when I will get time to shop if your wife is a busy as you say", it was amazing to her how they could talk like this, so easy with each other. That was how it was before. Before Marlena had to ruin everything.

At the Inn, the porter took her bags up, and she turned once again to John.."please, may I buy you a drink, it would help me relax too..unless you are in a hurry?" her voice was persuasive, and John thought 'why not", Marlena was asleep anway, and he was a little keyed up himself. A drink sounded like a good idea.

She had a hard time believing how easily this was happening. His beer was left on the table, and he excused himself to use the mens room. Well, she thought, I may never get a chance as good as this one, so why not? She put the small drop of the drug in his beer, and used the swizzle stick from her drink to mix it in. Leaning back in her chair, she sipped her Cosmopolitan as she tapped her raptor fingernails on the glass. When his smile changed as he looked at her, she reached under the table to grasp his thigh. This was a drug used by the sheikh to enhance his ardor when he was sorely in need of it, but also a drug that added forgetfulness to the mix. A man under its influence did not remember he had a wife, and if he did, he would not care.

John's breath became heavier, and he took her hand to kiss the inside of her wrist. Now it was her turn to feel the excitement. She stood, pulling her skirt down, and reached for his hand. The elevator doors had barely closed when she fell on him, and he pulled her against him in a frenzied dance of pure animal need. When the doors opened they ran for the room as her fingers fumbled with the card key, until he took it from her in exasperation, and slid it to make the green light appear.

He tore open the buttons to her jacket and blouse, hiking up her skirt, and ripping the underwear away. The moment of passion was over quickly, and with it, John's sanity returned, along with a guilt that threatened to make him physically ill.

"What did you do to me?"His voice was accusing as he leveled his eyes on her, the eyebrow lifting. He seemed to be figuring something out, but could not quite put all the puzzle pieces together.

"I think, from the evidence in here, my clothing, these bruises, I should be asking you that question..John Black!"

The gun she had hidden in her luggage was now out, and pointed at him. "I had not thought to take you so soon, but when opportunity presents itself, my father always said, be prepared to act!"

'I do not think you are big enough to make me go anywhere whoever you are?"

"I know, I am not big enough..but Raphael is." And the gentlman who had been hiding in the bathroom area, and who had been highly amused by the antics he had been listening to came out, knocking John to the floor with the crunchion held in his hand.

**Chapter VII**

The clocks alarm went off at six thirty, and Marlena rolled over to seek the warmth of John in the bed. Startled at not finding him, she opened her eyes and saw the bed had not been disturbed on his side. Sitting up in the bed, she looked about for any sign he had been in the room at all last night. Seeing none, she put on her robe and headed down the stairs. Maybe he had been later than he had planned on, and had not wished to awaken her when he came to bed.

He was not downstairs either. She was trying to stay even minded about this, she did not need to be taking the medication this early, it would only exerbate the problem. Still, the edges of the ocean of panic were lapping at her feet, and she knew she had only a short time to keep from drowning it's waves. The pill was in her purse, she just had to make it over to the purse, open the purse, find the pill box and open it. That was all she had to do, but with John gone, it was harder and harder..where was the purse? Where did she leave it? It was on the desk, she fumbled with the clasp, and then it fell from her hands, spilling the contents on the floor, but worse, the pill box had flown under the sofa. Crawling on her hands and knees, she found it, and as she was about to lose her breath in the final spasm of the full blown panic attic, she managed to get the pill into her mouth!

It did not matter that the pill would not be taking effect for a few minutes at best, the fact that she had managed to get it into her mouth at all was a miracle. John should have been here with her! He knew he had to be with her when this happened or at least within phone distance. Where was he?

He woke up rubbing the back of his head, as he recalled the blow that had felled him. It hurt, and so did his conscious. He was now lying on a bed, but he was no longer in the hotel suite. The room was contained but had no door he could discern, or windows, and the only furnishing was this bed, and a stainless steel toiliet and sink in the corner. he could see the sun was just coming up. His watch showed him it was half past six, and he reached for his pants pocket to retrieve his phone.

"Mr. Black, I would not bother, your phone is in good hands. Mine." The mans voice had a slight Italian accent, and it mocked him. John decided it would be best not to take it to heart, just ask some questions, see if he got any answers.

"What in the hell do you want with me? And who is your boss lady?"

"Well, John, my darling, what I want is you. I want you back. That is all I have ever wanted."

"Kristen..."John had the puzzle partly solved, but he knew many pieces were still missing. His head still ached, and the pain reliever they had given him took effect once more and he slept on.

"Is my husband's car in the parking garage?" the question did not seem all that difficult to answer, and Marlena was about to be sharp with the attendant who finally was able to tell her no.

"Are you positive?" she did not mean to badger, but she had to have an answer. The terror was threatening to come back, and she needed John now!

"Doctor Evans, it don't look like he came back in last night to park..sorry ma'am, if I see him I'll shore tell him you need him right away..ok ma'am?' the attendant could sense the agitation in her voice, but gee whillikers, his job was to park the cars, not keep tabs on the owners!

Now the panic ocean was engulfing her, she had one more thought. John went to pick up Doctor LiDierma, she dialed the Salem Inn, and asked to be put through to that room. The device in the phone rolled it over to Kristens cell, but she saw the caller and answered "Doctor LaDierma here..who is this please..it is frightfully early!"

'Oh, oh, Doctor LaDierma,I do apologize for waking you, I know you had a long trip..but this is Marlena Evans here, I see you made it to the Salem Inn...good, but did my husband make it there to pick you up?"

"Umm no, was he supposed to? I have my assistant, Raphael with me, he rented a car, and brought me back to the suite. It is lovely too, thank you for finding me such wonderful accommodations! I love it here!"

"Oh, I must have given him the wrong flight information,"covering quickly, Marlena then said, "Well, Doctor LiDeirma.."

"Antonia, please, just call me Antonia!" Kristen smiled, she could almost see the torment on her rivals face through the phone, it was so pleasing to hear it after all these years she had suffered.

"Well, then Antonia, please let me have you for a lunch meeting on Thursday, that will give you time to rest and get settled, and you call me Marlena. I will have my secretary call and confirm. Sorry I can't chat longer, I must get off and get going on my day!"

"Of course, Marlena, I need to get on with mine as well". Kristen closed her phone and looked once again at the sleeping John. It would be a three day session, but by that time, he would be ready to do what he should have done years ago. Kill Marlena, and love the woman who was destined to be his soul mate! Her!

**Chapter VIII**

The arrival at the camp where they would pick up the horses that would take them into the back country was only two hours behind schedule. EJ had made up a lot of time, his ability to drive even the cumbersome SUV on the mountain roads in a swift and smooth manner had been helped along by the fact that the kids had all fallen asleep. EJ had popped a classic opera CD into the player and listening to it had calmed his edgy nerves considerably. As the tragic lamentations of Tosca discovering her beloved Cavardossi dead filled the interior of the car, the last bend in the road was rounded, and EJ pulled into the meadow where the horse camp and lodge lay like a beacon and an end to this really horrid day!

"Good to see you all got here safely, I was about to send out a search party" the host of the camp was already helping them to unload the gear, and handing it off to his helper. The kids all woke up, and piled out of the car, each one going in a different direction, with Sami hot on their tails, as visions of them lost in the woods edging the meadowed area filled her with dread.

"I wanta go pet the horsies!" Kacie was tugging at her mothers arm.

"I'm hungry, when do we eat?" Ace grabbed onto her other arm.

"Justin, Jessica..get the dogs back here! Put the leashes on them!" Sami saw the animals had gotten loose from the car and were excitedly heading towards the area where the horses were corralled.

'Ok kids, I am Jake, and this is Mikey, and you are gonna get one heck of a meal tonight, so have your ma take you up to the lodge there, wash up, and come on over to the chuck wagon over there, and our cookie will fix you all right up!"

The smells coming from that mobile kitchen were wafting over to them now, a blend of savory smells that was making their mouths water, and the kids eagerly headed in to cleanup. The novelty of this adventure was really getting to them now, they were going to eat out of a chuck wagon!

"Mr. Wells, I hope you all get a good nights sleep, we generally feed you breakfast at about five thirty in the morning, and at first light the horses set out to the camp in the back country."Jake gave these instructions with a tone of 'this is how it is around here, so follow my rules!'

"Oh, I am sure we will all sleep like babies. It has been a most trying day!" EJ turned to survey the entire property. He had purchased the land and the lodge recently, planning to keep it as a nature reserve, allowing only limited access to make sure it stayed unspoiled. From what he could see, Jake was a competent and conscientious steward, which meant he would be keeping his job. The lodge where they would spend the night was of a simple log construction, with a highly pitched roof of tin to make the snow slide off easier. It seemed in good repair, along with the outbuildings. A cheerful window box was filled with summer flowers, pansies, and a few snap dragons to make for a more homey look. EJ approved.

It was a lovely meadow area, green still for August, and the profusion of wildflowers with the lavender and gold contrasting with the green of the meadow grass was reminiscent of some of the meadow of the higher areas of Italy or Switzerland. Surrounded by the forested ridges of the Sierra Mountains, EJ could picture why Ansel Adams had love photographing this area, and the Yosemite Valley. It was beautiful, and EJ started to feel a lot better about this camping trip!

Dinner was eaten around the campfire, plates perched on laps, while they listened to Jake play his banjo, and sing some old campfire songs. The barbecued brisket, beans, biscuits and coleslaw were followed by some slices of apple pie with cream that even the weight conscious Sami devoured. Some of the other guests who were camping out in the adjacent camp grounds came to join the festivities. The evening went by very fast, and when bedtime came, there was no protest from the Wells kids, they trooped in to the bunk beds lining the main hall and once Mom and Dad had come round to tuck each one in, and kiss them all good night, it was off to dreamland.

EJ turned then to Samantha, "I think a nice shower would be the perfect end to this day, how about you Mrs. Wells?"

"I would love that Mr. Wells..after you?"

"No, this is the wilderness, and we need to conserve all resources. I cannot see wasting water, so we should, in the interests of conservation of course, shower together!" He emphasized his point by picking her up and carrying her into the bathroom.

Before he set her down, he gave her a long, lingering kiss. Her nose wrinkled, and he gave her a questioning look.

"You still smell a bit like puppy puke, but on you darling , it is sexy!" She kissed him, then, unbuttoning his shirt while he watched. It amazed him how she had the power to excite him by just that simple act. Her fingers on his skin were cool, but each place they touched began to burn. Controlling himself, though, he turned on the water to warm up before they finished undressing.

Sami laughed as they finished toweling each others backs, "I don't think that showering together saves a lot of water".

"It might not save water, but it saved my sanity! You are the best relaxing agent I have going for me, my love, a triple martini has nothing to compare with you!"

'Well, I hope that is enough for you for a few days, we can't be doing this sharing a tent with our kids" she giggled.

EJ swallowed hard as he remembered her admonition. "Well, then, maybe since we do have our own room for this night, we should continue this discussion in there, and see what it leads up to."

"EJ, we do need to get some sleep, I mean breakfast at 5:30? I cannot imagine what would taste good at that time of the morning!"

"Sleep is highly overrated, and we may just work up an appetite!" He pulled her naked body against his own, kissing her as he pushed her towards the bedroom.

**Chapter IX**

"Hey! Time to rise and shine..kids are up and raring to go! Mr. Wells, Mrs. Wells..breakfast is on, coffee is hot. See you in five minutes, time's a wasting!" Jakes cheery voice was like chalk on a blackboard to EJ, and he pried his eyelids open with his finger. The watch on the side table was barely readable in the darkness of the room until he switched on its light feature. Groaning, he saw it was indeed o'dark thirty something., and he slapped Samantha on the rump to rouse her, as she was very able to ignore most signals to awaken.

Slapping his hand away, she pulled the covers tighter around her in a classic tuck and roll maneuver. Now he would not be able to use his tickle torture against her, she had learned a few tricks in sleeping with him all these years. EJ decided the only way to win the battle was to employ the full on rip all covers off attack!

"Damn you, it is freezing in here!"She was now awake, rubbing her eyes, and other sore spots. It had been a very vigorous night. He tossed her the jeans she was planning on wearing, along with the other things she had laid out.

"Hurry up darling, the children are out there with Jake, and he may need protection!"

Thinking of the poor man in the clutches of Ace propelled Sami into her jeans and flannel shirt. Tucking it in, belting it, she turned to EJ for his opinion.

"You are magnificent as always! I am so happy to see your butt back the way it should be!"

"Thank you, I think. Wow! You look like a picture out of a Western, you know..Handsome Stranger!" she laughed, as the grouchiness of early morning left her and the excitement of this new experience with her family began to entertain her mind. There was always something new to write about with her family now!

"Okay folks, now listen up good, this is a wonderful way to see the back country, but we want ya'all to come back here safe and sound in five days ok?"

Justin was very attentive. He saw himself as second in command after EJ in protecting his Mom and brother and sisters. When Jake said to never leave out food stuffs they were not eating, explaining about the bears, Justin listened. When Jake told them the dogs must not ever be off leash, as bears were not fond of dogs, but mountain lions found them to be good eating, Justin listened.

EJ knew all of this from the reading he had done, but was proud to see his eldest son take such an interest in keeping all of them safe. Ace and Kacie were still too excited about the prospect of getting to ride a horse to listen to anything. Jessica was exercising her responsibility of seeing that the dogs were fed, walked, then put into the crate that would set atop the small wagon the pack horses would be pulling with all the equipment.

'It will take you about four hours to get to the site we picked for you. You might see a few hikers out there, nothing much else 'cept the occasional bear, or wolf, lots of deer, maybe a mountain lion. Don't worry, they all got plenty of food out there, so they ain't likely to wanna munch on ya'all. Keep your food in the bear lockers, and you should be fine."

Sami looked at EJ, the worry on her face showing, but he smiled in his confident way, and whispered into her ear, "I am the only wolf who may munch on you darling, relax, this is all perfectly safe. We are going to have an amazing time! Look at the kids, they are loving this! This is going to be a vacation we will remember all our lives."

"Why does that worry me?" was her thought, but she gamely put her foot into the stirrup of the dappled horse chosen for her and followed behind EJ. The two youngest were on smaller ponies, Kacie had gotten the blonde palomino colored one, Ace the chestnut. Justin and Jess were seated upon two white mares, and EJ had the jet black stallion. He was known to be the most intelligent animal on the place, and all agreed that their Dad looked almost as good as Zorro sitting astride the horse.

All were tethered together, and the horses knew where they were heading. They seemed to be willing enough to stay to the marked trail, the reason being they knew the campsite was their feeding station. Many treats awaited them there, carrots, sugar lumps, apples as well as some tasty oats. This was where they got their reward instead of the tedious hay fed them at the lodge. Ace and Kacie were looking forward to hand feeding their little ponies! The dogs yapped for awhile as they were pulled along, but finally they lay quietly, just watching the world go by or napping once in a while.

It was a moderate climb from the meadow floor to the alpine lake setting where the camp was waiting for them. Ace had already taken out his toy laser pistol, and was taking aim at the bandits he saw lurking behind every boulder. His imagination, and his inkling to want to be a secret agent man when he grew up were in full manifestation as he found and eliminated all the bad guys in the area. Kacie spent her time looking around, and fondly petting the mane of the horse. Jessica was trying out her new digital camera, and Justin was keeping a lookout for any and all dangers lurking out on the trail.

The hours of the ride went quickly, and when they reached the lakeshore, the horses led them down to the wooded area with a small clearing. They could see the fire circle, and the stack of cordwood that marked the spot they would camp out. EJ got the tent up quickly, with Justin and Ace's assistance. Both his sons were quick studies. Ace hammered in the stakes, while Justin and EJ tackled the job of lifting the tent onto the poles. The girls both pitched in making up the air mattresses with the sleeping bags, and Sami unpacked the foodstuffs into the bear proof locker.

"Why didn't we get a bear proof tent" she thought while setting the lock.

By the time the camp was fully pitched, it was time for some lunch. This meal had been packed by the lodge, and consisted of some meats and cheeses, bread, fruit, and bottled water. When it was finished, Justin dutifully collected all the trash in the bags provided. Everything hauled in was to be hauled out. There was also a bear proof area to collect rubbish in.

'So what do we have on for dinner" Sami asked of EJ, she figured he had it well in hand. When he pointed out to the lake, and the poles she got that worried look again. "EJ, what if we don't catch any thing, we cannot starve them!"

"The lake is stocked, apparently you just throw a hook out and fish jump on!"

By evening the catch consisted of a four inch trout that was not legal and had to be thrown back in. Dinner became pancakes from the mix, no butter, syrup that you had to make by mixing it with water, and a can of pork and beans. Water had to be drawn from the lake, boiled, then you add one of the tablets provided to purify it. The campfire was finally started, and the round of songs they sang were a lively way to end an evening that despite not being gourmet food was quite fun. When they all crawled into their sleeping bags, they were looking forward to the adventures awaiting them all the next day!

It was late into the night when Sami woke to the sound of her sleeping bag being unzipped. EJ's hand crept in to caress her, and she turned to him in exasperation. "What are you doing EJ, oh god, I know what you are doing..please..we can't"..

"Darling, I need you, desperately..please," and he continued his caress, smiling as he felt her giving in to her own need.

"The children..EJ..oh my.."her hands were now unzipping his side and beginning their own explorations.

"We will be quiet, I promise.."and she was not refusing him anymore, but helping him along.

"Daddy..daddy..hey, don't shake her, she's tired!" Ace was sitting on his haunches by their air mattress, he had to go to the bathroom, and could someone please take him huh?

**Chapter X**

Marlena made her self get ready for work and head into the office. It would not do for her colleagues to start diagnosing her. She knew what she had, and she was treating it on her own. Knowing John would have disapproved, she kept that part from him, as far as he knew, another doctor on staff was administering her meds, and giving her counseling. Her hands shook as she took out another of the small pink pills she had been taking. If it had been her own patient, she would have been alarmed at what was going on, but this was different. she knew what she was doing.

Once in the office, she closed the door, leaned against it, wiping the sweat off her brow with a Kleenex. She looked at the phone, and finally decided she did have to call someone, but who? The only one she could think of who would not call in the police would be Bo Brady. It just would not do to have the police coming in to this just yet, what if John was just wanting time to himself? She had not been the easiest person to live with for the past year. The trauma of knowing Kristen was out there somewhere, just biding her time was making her life a living hell. She did not think that Kristen would come to exact revenge, she knew it. The only question was how and when. Daring not to voice what was really frightening her was what if is was now, and John was missing because of that? The idea was ridiculous, she knew that, but it did not stop her from thinking about it anyway.

"Jenny, please make sure I save a luncheon appointment on Thursday for the new Doctor, her name is Doctor La Dierma, get us reservations at Chez Rouge for around twelve thirty. Marlena looked at her blackberry to see if there was anything else she needed to remember. Then she dialed Bo's number.

'Hey Marlena, what's up?" Bo was up on a ladder doing some last minute adjusting of the new ceiling fans he had installed in the Pub.

She had not meant to lose it, but it was so hard nowadays, and with John not here, the thought and the fear she had that Kristen was coming finally broke down her walls, and she sobbed into the phone, which caught Bo off guard. He climbed down from the ladder, and began asking her questions.

"He hasn't called, and did not come home last night? The woman he was supposed to pick up says he did not show up at the airport? Ok..look, let me check with airport security, if he got there his car will be on the films. If he calls you, though, let me know ok, so I won't have to pull any strings and bring attention to it anyway."

Kristen lay down next to John, administering the drug once again, as Raphael looked on. "I suppose I should make some arrangements to take care of those films at the airport. No problem with them seeing him come in, we just don't want them seen leaving with you. As for the bartender downstairs, well, we won't have much to worry about with him. I thought I saw the manager interviewing someone else as I came up."

"I have always admired your efficiency Raphael, I am going to need a lot of that in the next couple of days. John's programming is very deeply imbedded now, he is probably the only mind controlled pawn who was ever able to shake it off. I cannot believe I helped him to overcome that..if I had not, he would be mine even now. He is all I have ever wanted you know, and soon he will be mine. I am going to make him so happy..and now..what is the status of the diamonds..is the sale complete?"

"Oh yes, we got top price for them, and the money is being wired from London probably as we speak. You will not be hurting in that department. Now, if he is properly conditioned, we need to begin his reindoctrination." Raphael had a speciality. He was not muscle, but could act that way in a pinch as long as the element of surprise was with him as it had been last night. Raphael was more of a mental expert. He knew what triggered a persons mind to respond the way it was supposed to. The right drugs, the right suggestions, the right stimulus, and anyone could become what John once was. An assassin who killed who he was told to kill. He did not ask why, that was not in the program.

The images projected now into Johns brain were wrenchingly painful, horrid to watch, but as the images kept coming, more brutal and bloody by the second, from the first reaction of dread and horror came the first smile of pleasure.

"That was quicker than I had thought possible, he is almost ready. Damn! I do good work don't I?'

John opened his eyes, looked at Kristen with no sense of remembering he had a wife who was waiting for him, he only had eyes for Kristen at this moment. He knew instinctively who she was, and he knew he loved her. Her hand reached out to stroke his face, and he covered her hand with his own, turning his cheek into the coolness she offered. This felt as right as he could ever imagine. He felt as though he was home. After so many years of fighting who and what he really was, he was once again himself. Sleep overtook him again, as the programming was an exhaustive process. Most who underwent it lost ten percent of their body weight in sweat and other bodily fluids. The pan next to his bed had caught most of what he had thrown up, and Raphael removed it to the bathroom to clean up the mild stench.

"Will you be alright here while I take care of security at the airport?"

"I will be perfectly fine, take your time, but do it right. No loose ends for my father to have to fret about. You know he was not keen on this idea. Then again, he owed me big time as you know!" Kristen had been left to languish in a prison, after having spent a lot of time in the harem of a sheikh who had thrown her aside for a younger, but dumber woman. Kristen had paid him back by making sure she embezzled a good deal of his oil profits, diverting them to one of her fathers accounts.

It had finally come to Stefanos notice what she had done, so he had arranged for her "release". God what a bunged up job that had been too! If she had not been quick on her feet, and able to converse in Turkish, she might still be rotting in that hell hole. A year of being free, studying, and changing her appearance and accent was how she kept busy. It was also a time to arrange her new identity. It amused her for her name to be an anagram of DiMera, would the very stupid Marlean figure it out before she died? Kristen really hoped in a way, the last thought in the mind of her rival would be the realization of who she had lost her life to.

Raphael pulled over next to the River, looked about to make sure he was not going to be observed, The body of the bartender was weighted down and stuffed into a plastic bag. It made a splash as it hit the rivers surface, bobbed about a second, then sank beneath the swirling waters. He then donned the uniform of an airport security detail. He so loved some aspects of the Homeland Security Act. It made many things easier on him, since everyone assumed that everyone else was assuming it was an act guaranteeing security! Within two hours, he had erased every system in the place for the prior twenty four hours. No one would want to admit this had happened on their watch, so the implication would be that nothing at all had happened during that time. Raphael understood how well the psychology of cover my own ass worked in all workplaces.

Now if any one cared to investigate where John had really been, there would be nothing to show he had ever been at the airport. It was all taken care of. Raphael pulled off the uniform in the mens room, and put on his own clothes for the drive back to the Inn. He had earned his five thousand a day fee today and then some.

**Chapter XI**

"Marlena, Bo here. I came up empty. I think we ought to call in Salem P.D. and see if they can put out an APB on his car. This is not like John."the response he got was not what he expected

"Bo, no, we can't! You know EJ runs the Salem P.D. now..and what if he was responsible for this, he hates me!

The desperation in Marlena's voice gave Bo a moments pause. It was true EJ had not a lot of use for his mother in law, but Bo could not imagine him harming John. EJ and John even seemed to have a grudging respect for each other, he had witnessed it close up in the trip they had taken on to rescue the children. All had been kept very hush hush as no one wished to bring attention to Salem on what had been an international incident. Somehow, it had all been fobbed off as an attempt by Kurdish nationalists to free some of their political prisoners. Bo did have to marvel at the power a person like EJ had, to manipulate stories all over the world. It boggled the mind of a small time fisherman, ex cop, soon to be innkeeper!

"Marlena, trust me, I do not think EJ has any part in this. The DiMera link to EJ is pretty well broken now, except for a pretty ill Stefano, who is left to want to harm anyone in Salem?"

"Bo! Damnit! Thanks to EJ and my daughter, Kristen is now free somewhere in this world! Is she or is she not another DiMera?"

"Marlena, come on, if Kristen showed her face in this town she knows she would go down! John would..."Bo went quiet as he began to have an understanding of Marlena's fear. Where was John? For him to just take off and not call was not like him.

"Did you check in with Basic Black? He does still run the place right? I know he has delegated a lot of responsibility to Belle, but they must have an idea of his schedule if he has to be reached, right?"

"I know, but I was afraid to call there, what if they don't know anything..and worse what if they do..won't it seem odd that I don't know?" Marlena's rather circular logic was starting to worry him, as it made some sense.

"Okay, then I can call. I can talk to Belle, and just bring it into conversation. Let me do that and get back to you, I am sure there is a logical explanation for all of this. John can take care of himself too..so don't worry. Let me call Belle!"

"Yes, Belle, call her. Why didn't I think of that?" Bo wondered the same thing. Something about Marlena did not seem quite right. When he talked to Belle he was going to tell her she should check on her mother. He was going to say the same thing to Sami, then he remembered the Wells family was on the camping trip. Ace was finally getting his biggest birthday wish! Bo smiled to himself as he thought of how his grand nephew had pumped him for all the information he could on what a real camping trip was like! He hoped the little guy was getting the full experience!

Belle took the call from the receptionist with a bit of a surprise. Her father in law was not given to calling to make small talk, and if there were invitations to be issued, that was always Hope's job. Even Shawn and his father did not just call each other often. Their relationship was cemented with their shared love of the fishing fleet and the engines Shawn preferred to work on. Once the Pub was reopened, Shawn would be taking more and more of the fleet over, and Belle was even going to be helping to run the Pub, at least the operational side. Basic Black designs was still her main love.

"Dad, what's up? I did not expect to be getting a call from you, but it is still a pleasant surprise!"

"Hey, Belle..I just wanted to know if you have spent any time with your Mom lately?"

This was totally out of the blue, Bo asking something like that was like Shawn wanting to take her to a chick flick.

"Dad, what do you mean? I see Mom all the time! I saw her day before yesterday as a matter of fact!"

"So..uh..how did she seem to you?"

"Dad, don't' make me pull teeth here..what is going on?"

By the time Bo finished explaining what Marlena had called him about, Belle was in between a state of laughter, and concern.

"Dad, I mean my Dad was supposed to leave for Boston yesterday. This was on his blackberry calendar a week ago, he must have told Mom! You know, she has been so tied up at the hospital for the past few months I bet it slipped her mind! He was driving down because he was going to be meeting with a supplier and wanted to bring back some samples for me to see. Look, you hold on, I am going to call him, and I will tell him he needs to call her ok? I will be right back"

Belle placed the call, and Kristen saw on Johns phone who it was. Handing the phone to him, he knew what to say.

"Hey there babygirl! What's shaking?" John was in complete loving father mode, and Kristen and Raphael grinned at each other. This was so perfect!

As John listened to his daughter, all his responses were text book. Of course he had been concerned about Marlena, almost to the point of not making this trip. She had told him don't be silly, she was fine! If Belle was worried, he was leaving to come home today!

Belle reassured him, she would go see Mom and find out what was going on! "Don't worry Dad, I am sure she just misunderstood. but you really should call her. I'll let Bo know you are fine!" Belle hung up the phone and relayed the story to Bo.

"Belle, you go see your ma, she really sounds bad!"

"I will Dad, don't worry. When Shawn gets home, I will go right over. Love you!" When the phone was hung up, she stared a moment into space. It had seemed that her mother was a little preoccupied for the past few months, but then of course, so was she. Life just had a way of going on, and in different directions! She made a mental note to make sure to spend some time with her mother, and bring Claire and Shawn along too!

**Chapter XII**

"Look Daddy, the canoes are over there! Just where Jake said! I wanna go out on a canoe ok?"

The hand of Ace was using all of his forty pounds of weight to pull EJ down the embankment, and he was doing a credible job of moving along the two hundred twenty pound of his father! EJ was having a hard time keeping his foothold! The two canoes were pulled up onto the edge of the pebble lined shore, piled with the flotation devices and the paddles resting inside as well. Jake had not exaggerated, a single canoe was both sturdy, and large enough for all the Wells family and the two dogs.

EJ made a quick inspection and decided it should be safe enough, and Samantha would agree. She still had trepidations about Ace being near large bodies of water, his swimming ability notwithstanding.

"Daddy, you own this lake right?"

"Yes, Ace, but we all do, everyone in the family. We want to keep it this way, so even though people can come and see it with us, they all have to promise to take very good care of it."

"Daddy, can we put some dolphins in it? Then I could have dolphins." Ace had it all figured out, and his father laughed.

"Ace, dolphin's have to have salt water to live in!" Jessica was letting her brother know another one of those facts that seemed to always get in the way of how he would run the world. "They would die in this water!"

"We could put some salt in the water!" once again, Ace had plan b. Justin looked up at his Dad with a grin. Even though Ace could sometimes be a pill, he always could be counted on to make life interesting. He soon forgot about his wish though, and ran down to the waters edge next to Kacie who was busily trying to catch some of the lake minnows darting amongst the rocks.

EJ looked with satisfaction on his little family. They were all he could have ever hoped for, beautiful, intelligent, and totally loyal to each other. Samantha was making her way down the embankment, and he went to her to give her a hand down, then deciding to just put his hands about her waist and hoist her to his level, planting a kiss on her lips before setting her down.

It had taken him awhile to convince her that Ace would not be scarred for life at the vision of his parents making love. "I believe you, EJ, but tonight there will be a padlock on that sleeping bag zipper." She had laughed with him, blushing at the memory.

"So, I see they found the canoes. Any holes in them that will sink us?"She had told him to check them out, and he had. So after a few minutes of everyone putting on the flotation devices, and the dogs all loaded up, the Wells family set out to explore the lake, and the two little islands out in the middle.

Justin was given the paddle position of stern, EJ took the bow. Ace and Jessica were given the job of looking out for rocks or logs ahead, and Mom and Kacie were to keep the dogs under control. Again, Justin had studied his homework. In no time, he mastered the forward stroke, the reverse, and the J stroke. EJ again had the feeling that his son was going to be a master woodsman! He seemed to be a natural at it. His natural affinity for the whole experience of nature was wonderful to see. Even though it had been Ace who had pushed for this trip, Justin seemed to have grown into it in no time.

Jessica and Ace were involved in deep conversation as they looked ahead for any obstacles. As Justin seemed to be closest to Kacie, Jess and Ace shared their own bond. Each older sibling had gravitated to being closer to one of the younger. They all loved each other, just shared more confidences with the one they saw most like themselves.

"Daddy, look, the island, we are almost there! Can we stop and have our lunch there?" Jess pointed with and excited shout. The idea of an island held no fear for her, of all the children, she seemed to have shed the experience of being held by Stefano the quickest. Now the island they were nearing was only a place to have an adventure with her family!

Samantha looked back at EJ nodding yes, and he set the course to pull into a natural bay area with a sandy beach at the island. All the kids and animals alighted a few few out, and waded up to the beach. While they all ran about exploring all the rocks, and pools, finding more interesting discoveries at every turn, Sami had set out the packed lunch. Living out of cans had made packing lunches or having dinners a real inventive chore. Two days of fishing had produced very little in the way of edible fish, it seemed there were no trout big enough to eat who wanted to be eaten.

Her offering today was a couple of cans of deviled ham, some Vienna sausages, crackers, and they were now pilfering the apples and carrots that were the treats for the horses. The shouts of the kids and EJ brought her out of her reverie of imagining them all heading back to the main camp emaciated after three more days of these starvation rations!

"Daddy and Ace caught some fishies! Big fishies! Ohh Justin, Justin you caught on too!" Kacie was jumping up and down with her absolute enthrallment at what was happening! It seemed EJ and the boys had found the mother lode of a fishing hole, and trout were now lining up for the chance to be eaten by the Swiss Family Wells!

Soon the little stringer had the days limit of two fish per person on it, and both Sami and EJ were looking forward to a dinner of fried trout! Kacie, though was already having second thoughts, since she was the intense animal lover of the group. She really had visions of taking the fish home to live in the swimming pool. Justin had sat her down, and given her some spiel about the spirit of the land giving up these animals so they would live on in their spirit, and even though she desperately wanted to believe in her big brother, when she had seen that the fish died very quickly on the stinger, tears had streamed out of her velvety brown eyes. When that happened, only Daddy could really console her, and she had cried into his shoulder until he distracted her by showing her some tiny tree frogs.

Jessica had not really been interested in watching the boys fish, she had taken off with the dogs in tow to look around the bend. When she came upon the patch of wild berries, she knew her mother would be thrilled. Taking off her hat, she began picking them and filling the hat, not paying attention to anything around her until she heard Inky growl low and menacing at something! When she finally looked around, it was really too late. The little black and white creature had backed up, and was letting fly at the disturbing creatures who dared invade his private berry patch!

It was a very unpleasant trip back to the main camp, and now Samantha knew the real use for all those cans of tomato juice that had been stored in the bear proof locker.

**Chapter XIII**

The fish cleaning station by the lake consisted of a small covered table, and a pit. The pit was covered with a plastic bag designed to be wrapped up, tied with one of the provided bread ties, and left in the covered container that was locked against bears and other wildlife. EJ was busy showing Justin and Ace the method of cleaning a trout known as filleting since Samantha was refusing to eat them with the heads still attached.

Ace watched intently, as the heads were cut back from the gills, then the head was used to peel back the skin to the tail. After that, the fish was gutted, and the insides rinsed with the purified water. Kacie stood on the bench, and as the first one was finished, she had managed to say weakly, "EWWWW...gross..okay now do another one Daddy!" her stomach was getting much stronger.

Samantha finished washing the last bit of tomato juice from Jessicas hair, and then started on the dogs. They both whimpered at the injustice of this foul bath when all the only sin they had committed was trying to scare off the critter they thought might harm Jessica! It was their sacred duty to bark at creatures who approached their little mistresses without permission.

Jessica had cried buckets as everyone in the canoe had turned away from her, except the doggies..even Ace had moved from his place sitting next to her. Not even the offering of berries that she had salvaged made any inroads. Sami, once finished, knew she had to clean up as best she could too, and the lake seemed the quickest way to do it. She threw a suit to Jessica, and pulled one on herself, then ran with her daughter down to an area where they could just dive in from one of the rocks. It was cold but refreshing, and their splashed soon enticed the others to join them. Even the dogs found they could jump in, and paddle about to climb out on the pebbly beach, then run back up the rocks to go again.

After an hour of the play, it was back to the camp to start dinner up. EJ had figured out the operation of the Coleman stove, now lighting it without a flame shooting ten feet into the air. Samantha had rolled the fish in some of the meal provided, and soon they were frying nicely along with some potatoes. Canned vegetables made the meal nutritionally complete as it could be. The berries were saved to be served up the next morning with pancakes.

The days adventures and the great meal were topped off by a night around the campfire toasting marshmallows and making smore's. The feelings of dread that had accompanied the idea of this vacation were fading in Sami's mind. She had to agree it was a great time they were having. If only she had not agreed to the idea that it would be fun to tell some ghost stories!

"EJ, it will give them nightmares..we shouldn't." Her mothers instinct bell was going off as soon as the suggestion was made.

"When I was a boy scout back in England, we always told them when we went on overnites, it was part of of the fun!" the kids were all backing him up, and Sami knew she was defeated when EJ began to tell the story of "The Hairy Toe".

The old woman was out digging roots and picking herbs when she saw something sticking out of the leaves! She dug until she uncovered the largest toe she had ever seen and she said to herself " there is some real good meat on that toe, it will make a tasty dinner! She put it in her basket with the herbs and went home to cook it up!"

"Then what Daddy? Then what?" Ace's face was shining with excitement. Kacie was rather quiet.

"why she boiled it up with some carrots and potatoes and had the best meal she had eaten in awhile! Then went off to bed!"

"but that night the wind started howling, a black cloud covered up the moon..and a voice started to call out "Hairy toe, Hairy toe, what happened to my hairy toe?"

Ace voice was lower now, a whisper that broke up a bit.

"Then what Daddy?" as he asked he was burrowing under Samis arm, into the shelter of her lap. Kacie had done the same with EJ.

"Inside the cabin the old woman sat up, pulling the covers to her chin. Then the front door of the cottage burst open and a stomping noise as the voice climbed up the stairs!"

"Where is my Hairy Toe, asked the massive figure in the doorway to her room.

"I ate it she screamed in terror!"

"I know" came his soft voice. The old woman was never heard from again, and the only clue to her disappearance was a giant footprint the neighbors found pressed into loose soil around the cabin..and it was missing the left big toe..now when the wind blows in the treetops like it is right now..." EJ paused to let them listen to the breeze in the treetops..

"Hear it, he is saying, "Now I've got my hairy toe!"

Justin got up quickly to move next to his parents. Jessica had already done so, and was looking at her mother.

"Mom, can we all move our sleeping bags into the center with you and Dad tonight?"

Sami looked over at EJ with a knowing smirk. "Good one, big guy!"

**ChapterXIV**

Running for the phone and catching it on the second ring, Marlena gave a breathless "Hello?" and immediately sighed with relief when she heard his voice.

"Doc, my God, what is the matter with you? Belle just called me. Hon, I told you last week I would be gone on a business trip..look on my desk, it is marked off on the calendar there!" John winked at Kristen as he hooked his arm about her waist, and drew her closer.

Marlena was stunned, but she was too afraid to admit she had absolutely no memory of any conversation like that. She moved to his desk and pull open his calendar, and saw the days marked off, with the words Boston. Her hand flew to her mouth in shock! Covering though, she managed to give a slight laugh as she played along.

"Oh, John, I apologize, I think I got my dates mixed up, and I really thought you were going next week..so how is it going hon?. Everything coming along okay with the project?"

John was removing the jacket of Kristens suit, and fumbling with the buttons on her blouse..as he answered, "Some small details are giving me a few problems, but what it is revealing is definitely helping my insights Doc, so yes, I would say it is coming along quite nicely" as he pulled the blouse away, and unhooked the front clasp of her bra, Kristen kissed his neck, making him gasp as he continued talking to Marlena.

"John, what is that I hear, is someone there?"

"Sorry, Doc, it's just the television. Let me turn it down." He pushed Kristen onto the bed, holding her down with one knee, and placing his hand on her mouth. "How is that?, better now Doc?"

"John, I am just so happy to hear your voice..when are you coming home?" John heard the desperation in her voice, and tried not to laugh. His hand was now stroking Kristens thigh while he unbuckled his belt.

"I will be there before you know it, Doc, leave the light on for me. Now I better go, I have an engagement waiting on me, and it is very urgent. See you Doc, love ya!" John hung up, and fell into the waiting arms of Kristen once more.

She stared at the phone, her hand up to her mouth in horror as she realized she was totally unaware of what John had meant about any of this. She could not remember him saying anything about Boston, and she ran to throw several of her pills into her mouth. Wondering if she should try and make it back to the hospital, she knew she was in no condition to see patients today. "God", she thought, "If anyone else came to me in this condition, I might be asking them to consider admission for a twenty four hour observation!"

"John, you are too cruel..how can you do this to poor 'Doc"?" Kristen had a voice that could drip acid and sarcasm when she wished to, or be as sweet and cajoling as a angels, and right now, she was using both.

John was a bit confused. He had nothing against Marlena really, in fact within his mind were some very sweet memories. But it was over. All he could think of now was Kristen, and how soon it would be for them to be together, as it had always meant to be. It was hard to explain how he had spent these dead years, which is how he felt about them. He should have been with Kristen, he knew that now. His instructions were set within his mind. Deliver Marlena. Then he would be free to move on. Kristen had promised him. Raphael was preparing the place. Marlena would not die, she would have every comfort, even be able to watch her grandchildren at play. Kristen had promised Marlena would not die.

"Pity" Kristen said aloud to Raphael, "We just don't seem to be able to break that barrier with him. His mind won't allow him to murder her. So the second plan is our best option, and I really rather like it anyway. Kind of like old times". Kristen went to the bed to fluff the pillow and place it underneath Johns head. He looked so peaceful, not like the passionate lover that had been with her only minutes before.

"Lucky for us, that chamber beneath the pool is still there. Stefano sure did like his secret rooms and passages, and the trap door was right where the maps said it was, next to that large star jasmine bush on the west side of the pool." Raphael had managed to become the latest addition to the gardening team that worked on the Wells Estate.

"I think the family is due back Friday, I have a lunch date with Marlena on Thursday, so I guess that would be the day for John to show her his surprise..what do you think?"

"Kristen, you may go down in the annals of evil doers as the most prolific of evildoers, and maybe s the absolute sexiest as well".

"Raphael, forget it, you and I are in an employee-employer relationship, and I do not mix business with pleasure. So those compliments are out of line..capiche?"

"Please forgive me, I meant absolutely no disrespect, but it is hard to see what you are engaging in without having to pay you these compliments, John is a very lucky pawn!"

"Someday, someday he will not be a pawn, he will be what Stefano meant him to be, before Marlena corrupted him! He and I are going to rule along with our son Elvis! This EJ Wells half breed and his Bobbsey Twin abominations will be swept aside like tissue paper in a strong wind!"

Going up the elevator to the penthouse Belle held Claires hand, and let her push the button to Gran's floor. Shawn was leaning in the corner, looking a bit uncomfortable. He was dressed in jeans that were a bit oil stained, and he had not had time to change out of his work shirt. There would be no way he would feel at ease inside the elegance of John and Marlena's penthouse. Claire pushed the doorbell, and after a few minutes and no answer, Belle decided to just use her key. She had to know if her mother was alright, as she had not been at the hospital, and they said she had called in and said she was ill. As Belle entered the apartment she had seen her mother sleeping on the sofa, but in a way that was not suggestive of a natural state of rest.

She was tossing, and moaning, sweat beads forming on her forehead. Belle felt her, but her skin was not warm, it was cold and clammy with the perspiration. Her pajamas were silk, and soaked, clinging to her skin. Belle shook her awake, and her mother's eyes flew open wide, and though she looked right at her, she reacted as though the devil himself had her in his grip. Her arms flew out at Belle in a motion of self defense striking, pushing, slapping, doing anything to keep her away from her. Shawn ran to help his wife, while Claire looked on in absolute terror!

"Mom, my God Mom! What is wrong with you! Please stop! It's me Belle!"

Finally the animal like look of fear calmed down in Marlenas eyes, and she recognized her beloved daughter.

"Oh Belle, baby girl, please forgive me..I ..I..I was having a bad dream, a horrible dream really..sorry for that..what are you doing here?" it was hard coming up with a plausible story, especially when what Marlena really wanted was one of the pink pills, and as long as Belle was here, she was afraid to go for them. Now she knew what she had to do, she must get Belle to leave..and take Claire and Shawn with her as quickly as possible!

**Chapter XV**

"What's for breakfast Mom?" Ace was rooting around, hungry as usual. When Sami pointed to the four trout frying in the pan, his nose wrinkled. "Again?, We had fish for dinner last night, and for breakfast yesterday, isn't there anything else?"

The idea of living mainly off the land was now wearing thin, and the kids were starting to mention pizza every third word. Sami also was longing for a hot shower, and the chance to wash her hair. EJ was rather liking most of this, as he had not had to shave in four days, and he was not caring he smelled a bit like fish.

Feeling a bit sorry for Ace, and understanding how he felt, she went over and unlocked the locker to see what remained inside. After the horseback ride of the day before, the last of the apples and carrots had been fed to the animals, so nothing to filch from there. There was almost a full canister of the corn meal left, and she vaguely remember her grandmother making something called hush puppies! A little more rummaging and she found a small jar of honey. She began to mix up the cornmeal with some water, salt and pepper until it was the consistency of dough. Shaping it into small balls, she dipped them into the frying pan and watched as they turned a shade of golden brown. Ace hovered around, as finally something did not smell like fish.

Kacie had wandered over to the horse area, it was a small corral set in the trees. When she saw the jar of honey her mom left out she was drawn instantly to it. Would this be what it took she wondered? When Sami turned to get a bit more water, Kacie struck! The jar of honey was tucked into her jacket, and she wandered down the path where she had seen the little cub go into the hollow log. No one else had seen the tiny little bear, and Kacie was glad,as this was her special secret. After she made friends with it, she planned on bringing it down to show the others.

'Hey little guy? Want something good?" the cub woke, and crawled weakly toward the smell of the honey. His mother had been gone for a couple of days feeding up before fall so she would be able to nurse the little guy through the winter. That did not mean he was not hungry now. He gratefully licked the honey from her fingers, then found the source of it all and grabbed it from her hands, sticking his long tongue down the jar, upending it, and greedily eating it all.

"Uh oh," Kacie had not realized he would be such a pig of a bear, now Mom would be mad at her for letting the bear eat it all and leaving none for breakfast for the rest of them. She had no idea what she was going to say, and wondered if they were all going to be angry with her. Her mother could be heard now, questioning all of the others as to where the honey was. Kacie decided it was best to just go fess up. The bear cub of course followed, figuring this was a food dispensing source that he wanted to stay near to.

They were only about one hundred feet from the camp, and the cubs keen nose caught some other delicious aromas, those fish and hush puppies smelled pretty good too, so he ran ahead to introduce himself to the rest of the family.

Justin was the first one who realized the danger, and EJ had already started to grab Ace, picking him up, and running to grab up Kacie also. Sami and Jessica both grabbed a dog each, and all ran toward the lake as the mother bear came huffing out of the woods in a full bent charge!

"Get in the canoe, Justin, hurry! Shove it off a bit! EJ was leaping down the embankment, one kid under each arm as his long legs flew over the rocky area. Sami and Jessica were close behind and the roar of the enraged mother bear seemed to be only inches behind them. They made it into the canoe, just as the mother bear clambered down the embankment heading full steam towards the green canoe. Justin and EJ had the canoe in a fast forward stroke, heading towards the lake center, and EJ prayed the bear would no longer consider them threat enough to swim out and tangle with them. The bear was standing at the shore obviously thinking about it, but then she too seemed to be lured to the source of all the food odors.

From their vantage point they could see the bears devouring everything that was cooked, and now were over at the locker. "I think it is unlocked now, I was putting stuff away when I noticed the honey was gone.." and they watched as both bears pawed through the locker. Even the bears did not find too much that was appetizing, as they opened, sniffed then discarded most of the foodstuffs. The cornmeal was scattered across the ground, the horses oats given the same treatment.

The mother bear was not through showing her anger. The tent seemed to really bother her, so she decided it must go! It soon looked very much like large strands of orange spaghetti, and the sleeping bags and air mattresses were dragged around, bitten, clawed, and the process repeated. Even the cub took part, as this was a great game. EJ closed his eyes, trying to escape what he knew might be the final rampage of the bear, but the bear read his mind. The whinnies of the horses made Kacie cry out.

"No! No Bear, don't' hurt the horsies, it was my fault! My fault!"

The bear advanced on the corral, with the cub running ahead under the fence. This so alarmed the horses they were rearing up, and the cub was in danger of being stomped! The mother bear in trying to get to the cub knocked down three of the rails, the horses saw the opening and ran! The trail back to the main camp was twelve miles away, but the horses knew it by heart, and they were back at the corral in three hours, even allowing for the grazing stops they made along the way.

It was a tired, hungry, thirsty group that Jake and Mikey found still floating around in the canoe the next morning. After eating and drinking, and thanking their rescuers, the task of cleaning up the camp was begun. As they mounted the fresh horses for the trip back down the mountain, Ace turned to the camp and shouted out, "This was sooooo much fun! We are coming back every year..huh Mom? Huh Dad?"

**Chapter XVI**

Raphael and John had driven out to the area known as the lake dunes which looked over the Wells property. It had not taken long to find the shrub pine that marked the entrance to the tunnel. Stefano had always been aware that he needed a way out of every situation, he trusted no plan as being fool proof. He had survived to a fairly ripe age because of this instinct.

The shrub pine was very real looking, but when John removed one area of bark, and pressed the button, the tree began to move aside to reveal the steps down into the underground darkness. He pushed another button and the tunnel was now lit up. Both men jumped down into the tunnel, pushing the button that replaced the tree cover. Raphael was impressed with the engineering of the place, with the rate of inflation, he figured in todays dollars this work would cost a cool billion.

"And you say this comes out beneath the pool? Why the hell put a panic room there?"

Grunting, John only said "Why not?"

"Well, does the room have the ability to withstand the water weight stress, is there any way she can get out? Can anyone hear her if she yells?"

"Yes, no, no" John was grunting again as he was turning the wheel that opened the pressure latch.

The room was of adequate size, John remembered being in cells not nearly as nice. It had a bed sit area, a television, radio, clock. A book shelf was brimming with reading material, some of which was yellowing with age. Raphael picked up one of the newspapers and saw the headline "Kristen Blake Implicated in Kidnapping!" he laughed then, saying only, she must have been a pistol!"

Memories came back to John, but these memories favored Kristen's version of the story. Funny, why had he wasted all this time with Marlena when he could have been with a real woman like Kristen. No matter, that was going to be ancient history by tomorrow. His new life with Dr. Antonia LaDierma , and in time, his son, Elvis John would join with them They would rule the DiMera Empire as a family!

"Hello Marlena, how nice to have you with us today? I have your table ready, right over here. Best one in the house!" Maggie greeted her, then waited expectantly for her to make the introductions

'Oh, beg pardon, Doctor Antonia LaDierma, this is Maggie Horton, she manages this restaurant for my son in law, EJ Wells. She is amazing, this place is fantastic, best food in the city!" the gushing was sincere, but Kristen was not all that impressed with the place. EJ really needed to upgrade a few things in the restaurant. When it was hers, she already had some ideas in mind.

Once they both had gotten some iced tea, and the salads both chose to have for lunch, they were talking like old friends in no time. Marlena was amazed at just how much they both had in common, besides their work. Antonia was like a girlfriend in no time at all. When Kate stopped by the table, Marlena was not exactly pleased, but she did graciously offer to have Kate join them.

"I would love to, it is so seldom we see each other Marlena..after all the losses we have experienced, we should make time for our friends, don't you agree..Doctor LaDierma?"

"Please, call me Antonia, and any friend of Marlenas is sure to be a friend of mine.!"

"Of course, indeed". Kate did not know why, but her instinctive radar was up against this woman. Kate very seldom needed a reason to dislike a person. Life was easier if no one was considered worthy to enter her circle. The circle was usually empty anyway.

"Marlena, I really think Victor should be talking with someone now, he has been shutting out Phillip, and that relationship he has with Hana, it is not healthy, I am sure of it."

"Kate, if Victor wants to talk, he can make an appointment himself. In fact, I think if he does, then he should probably talk with our newest staff psychologist, would you be interested in having Victor Kirakis as a patient Antonia?"

'Please, here is my card, Kate, I should love to help if he is interested. A heart transplant patient has many issues to contend with?"

"How did you know he had a heart transplant?" Kate was curious.

"Oh, well Victor Kirakis is a well known man, both here and in Europe. News is the lifeblood of communications nowadays!" Kristen had been given a lot of access to hospital records, it was not that hard really as Stefano still had a morbid curiosity about all goings on in Salem. He was highly amused by the fact that Victor seemed to have attached himself to the common law wife of his heart transplant donor. Kate, though did not seem as amused. Oh this was delicious stuff. Besides having John back, there seemed to be no end to the delightful areas Salem was offering her to meddle in. An internet medical license was so much fun, and she actually found herself enjoying reading a patients files, placing her hand over the diagnosis, and guessing what the illness was. She was correct about forty five percent of the time which was a pretty good average at this hospital.

Excusing herself to the ladies room, Antonia dialed the cell phone of Raphael to check on progress at the house.

"Anytime, the room is ready anytime. The family does not come home til Saturday, so we have two days, but no time like the present if you would like us to pick her up!"

"Why not?" It was almost perfect. John could arrive home to find an empty apartment, and it was going to appear as though Marlena was a random victim of some violent assault. Her body would never be found.

Marlena was picking up the check when Antonia got back to the table. They had walked from Salem University Hospital since it was a nice day. The trip back took them by the construction area for the Pub, and Bo waved them over. Again, Marlena made introductions and Antonia made observations. When she saw the white van with the logo for the electrical company she knew Raphael and John were ready. It was time, so she urged Marlena on. The shortcut through the park was where Marlena headed when the van pulled up alongside both of them. The hooded figures jumped out, grabbed both women who began screaming and struggling..Antonia fought her way loose from her assailant, but poor poor Marlena was thrown into the van and it sped away! Antonia screams brought several people running her way.

"My God! They took her! The tried to get me too! Oh God! Why? Why?" the tears of fear and bewilderment were as real as she could get them to be. By the time Bo had made it to the area, she was in a state of hysteria!

**Chapter XVII**

John was tying up Marlena who was frozen with fear and shock. Raphael opened her purse and found the bottle of pills. He handed her over two of them along with a plastic bottle of water. She took them, her hands shaking as she did so. John almost felt sorry for her. All the times he had been to her rescue, and now he was the one who she needed to be rescued from! It really was hilarious when you thought about it. As he looked at her, with her hair all disheveled, and the desperation in her eyes as she reached out for the pills he wondered how many of these a day she was taking, and when had it started.

He opened the purse and counted seven different bottles of the same prescription drug, from seven different doctors. How had he not noticed it?. Now it was of no matter. He really did not care, but it bothered him that he had been so lax. Diligence was the key to never losing sight of what was important. That had been one of his most important lessons taught by Stefano.

Raphael drove to the dune area. Pulling the van back into an area that could not be seen by the main road, they pulled her out of the car, not being unnecessarily rough, but not exactly gentle. It was important that she remain afraid, and she definitely was.

Marlenas mind was not working well, the combination of all the medications she had been ingesting, along with the fear, and the fact that things had been playing with her mind so much lately. The hand that grabbed onto her shoulder to propel her along was gloved, but still, she could not help but think of John. His hand was the same size, but gentle, not a hand that gripped until she felt the bruises forming. The man also had the same walk as John, and he was of the same height. She was trying to remember all these details so when John came for her as he always did she would be able to help him catch these tormentors.

Before they moved her away from the van, the blindfold was placed over her face, and the headphones which blocked out sounds but played music from one of her favorite musicals were placed on her ears. As the Phantom of the Opera filled her now sensory deprived mind, she was led down, and walked through a series of pathways. There was something familiar, and finally the smell brought it back. She could remember being led through this very tunnel many years before. Her and Liz Chandler had been forced to go out this way to escape the Salem Police, headed by her now deceased ex husband, Roman Brady!

"If you are doing this for Stefano, I warn you, my husband, John Black will come and find me, then he will come after you. I promise you, you are going to wish you had never been born!"

Raphael did not appreciate her threat, "Reminds me of a song, dear, so lets change up your music shall we? How do you like this one? He then blasted out "I'm Holding out For a Hero" into her ears, laughing at how the assault with the volume caused her pain."

"You really need to figure out who is in charge here Doctor Evans. Of the three of us, I think you should really be aware it is not you. Now shut your trap, and move!"

When they removed the blindfold she had a sick feeling in her gut. Memories of the time she had spent being held in a room like this by Kristen were coming out of the corners of her mind like tiny spiders from behind webs. In another bout of need, she looked to the shorter man, then her purse.

"No, don't think so Doctor. You really need to have a little cold turkey treatment. Just what Doctor Kristen ordered. A few days to cleanse your system should do you a world of good. Let me show you your accommodations, privy here, shower, few changes of clothes, but more will be provided as needed. Enough food for a month or so..please do try and eat. You will need nourishment. We have provided you with a flat screen t.v., and guess what? We are now providing you with a way to view your grandchildren from your daughter Sami while they play. Pity you are not really close to them, never had much interest is what I hear from some sources. Now they may provide you with your only source of entertainment, as well as a way to check in on your beloved John from time to time when he visits them..while he is getting over the unbearable pain of your loss Marlena. But you know how it is, a man has needs, and it is always good to move on! You would have wanted this for him, so when he moves on, we know you will be happy for him, won't you Marlena.

She was not really listening to anything he was saying. She had quit listening from the time he had said she was not going to be able to keep her pills. Nothing else had registered. As the shorter man had been moving about the room tidying, and setting things straight she had inched towards her purse, trying to get to it, without drawing attention to herself. At last, she was able to put a hand in, and grab onto one of the bottles. She put it into the pocket of her slacks and sat back upon the bed.

"Now, look here Doctor, remember what I said about you having a chance to observe our grandchildren at play? This camera here is one that shows the pool underwater, this one the playground, and this one, well..this one actually is keyed in their play and study room. You are going to get a window into their little world! How does that sound to you? And by the way, please hand over that pill bottle to Mr. Tall Fellow there, as I said, we feel a sobering up experience is best for you to go through in the next few days. It will do you a world of good!'

He did not wait for her to offer them, he simply reached into her pocket, counted them and then went into the bathroom and flushed them away. He did the same with all the rest, smiling at how she kept her eyes on them the whole time. It was amazing to him how quickly one could get addicted to these particular pills. Even a doctor who should have known better was not immune to the properties of the oxycontin she had been taking. Why she had decided to start replacing her regular anti depressants for a narcotic was a mystery. Of all the professionals in the world, a doctor who knew about depression and addiction should have been the last to fall into such a trap. Raphael wondered what was bothering her enough to step into it?

"Well, my lovely, you must understand that we must not tarry her too long. Your man is due back, the Wells family is due back, and oh..dear ..forgot something. Please hold out your arm." He was now rummaging about in his bag, bringing forth some rubber tubing to tie off her arm with.

The stick in her arm was almost painless, and as she watched in silence he drew blood, filling one small sample tube after another. He stopped after filling 8 vials, then he had asked her very nicely to remove all her clothing, and put on the sweat suit on the bed.

"Don't be modest, just do it now! No one is interested in taking advantage of your virtue, and if you please, just go into the bathroom and toss them out to me!"

John had not helped or hindered in any of these actions. In a way he felt a mild pity for this woman he had shared some sort of life with. But now, it was as if he was watching a show on television. He was a disinterested third party, just seeing what the outcome was going to be. It was a defeated woman who walked out of the bathroom and handed over the light pink pantsuit with the darker pink and white blouse to the man. Her underwear were folded neatly within the folds of the jacket.

"Very nice, very nice. Thank you, and we shall be in touch. Enjoy your stay in the Kristen Arms. She wishes you a restful vacation!"

**Chapter XVIII**

Sami woke up next to EJ in their own bed, and practically laughed aloud. She buzzed down to the kitchen to ask Tippin to bring up some coffee for them, and EJ got up to head to the bathroom to shave and shower. The aroma of the freshly brewed java was like heaven. They had gotten in late, and been so exhausted, they just fell into bed, barely stopping to undress.

She took a cup of the coffee, black, as he preferred in to him, and leaned against the sill watching him shave. He took the cup from her hands, kissing her forehead in thanks, before sipping a bit, then beginning to take off the growth of several days out in the woods. She mocked him a bit, when he stretched his upper lip over his teeth to enable the blade to do its job, but when he began to shave in the long smooth strokes that took off the beard, she was curious.

"Hey, can I do that for you?"

"Why?"he looked down on her, this was a new request from a lady who often had some very unique ideas on foreplay.

"I don't know, it just looks kinda sexy! I can't explain why!"

He handed her the blade, and sat himself down to subject himself to what he thought was going to be a one of a kind experience.

Instead of standing, she straddled his lap, and dipped the razor in the sink. Taking it, she took the blade to his cheek, and began to scrape a bit too gently to really take off the beard. He took hold of her hand and showed her how to apply the correct amount of pressure. Now she had the rhythm as well as the correct pressure, the beard was coming off easily. Each stroke revealed more of the smoothness of his face, and when she got to the chin, she showed him how to stretch his face to facilitate what she had to do. He laughed at her, but made the required movement. He had already done the neck, so she bent to it to kiss the pulse there and inhale his freshly shaved scent. His arms went round her waist then, and her hands went to stroke his face.

"I just can't make up my mind EJ,"

"About what?"

"Whether I like you better smooth or rough?"

Her words had done it, and he decided maybe he would let her make the choice back on the bed.

By the time they made it down to breakfast, the kids had eaten, and were already outside playing. The days before going back to school for Jessica and Justin, and the start of kindergarten for Ace and Kacie were growing short.

As he spread the marmite on his toast, EJ looked to his wife and questioned, "Do you think it is wise to put Ace in the public school darling, he is a bit advanced. American schools are not prepared for this type of student. He may not fit in well. Not too many kindergartners here already read and can speak three languages."

"Well, EJ, if they have to move him up, we will find a way to deal with it. I just want him to have a normal childhood!"

"Samantha, Ace is not abnormal in any sense of the word, he is just advanced..remember they said it may even be due to the treatment you were subjected to when Tony.."EJ quit talking, what had been done to Samantha was unspeakable. Ace was a wonderful child, with a spirit that was more alive than anything EJ had ever encountered. Still, it had come at a great price to his mother.

From the breakfast nook, they could look out and see the kids on the lawn. A pickup game of soccer was going on, and a friend of Justins from school was visiting. Andy was a lively boy, who had lived through much tragedy this year. His father had been one of the victims of the Pub bombing. Now his mother was working for EJ at Mythic in the IT department, and EJ was picking up the mortgage on their home. When Justin came in with Andy trailing behind, EJ greeted the child in a friendly manner, asking how his mom was.

"She is ok, Mr. Wells. She said to tell you we had a wonderful time visiting her mom in London this summer. Hey, are there still secret tunnels under the house like when Mr. Damera lived here? A lady on the plane said she heard there was lots of em and she wanted to know if I ever saw em when I stayed here., but I didn't I told her..so are there any left? That would be neat huh Justin..like if old Damera left some hidden treasure or something!" Andy was known to be a run on sentence, but EJ was interested in this.

Justin, though, did not wish to hear anything about Stefano DiMera. To him, it was a bad and scary memory. He had been afraid they would never get his mother back, or his brother. "Andy, come on, lets go upstairs and play some video games ok?"

Ace came in, and went round to his dad's side of the table, and looked at the piece of marmite toast still on the plate. EJ ruffled his head then tore off half to hand to him. "Dad, can you come out and go swimming with us..you too Mom..it is soooo hot today!"

"Sure, right after we finish here. I might not swim, but I can sit out and get some sun while I get some work done." Samantha was now working on a spy series, much of it based on the breakout from the prison. Of course, in her book, the outcome was going to be much different! Her mother would not be involved at all, and it would be mission accomplished after the requisite number of sexual encounters between hero and heroine! The dominatrix scene was now being written, and Sami wanted it to be perfect before she read it to EJ for his opinion!

When the splashes started the sound reverberated into the comfortable tomb Marlena was in. She was on the bed, clutching her arms around herself as the first waves of her withdrawal were coming on. The coughing fits were constant and unstoppable, the muscle aches made sleep impossible, and the sound of the splashes contributed to the mental distress. Managing to inch off the bed, she went over to the small screen that was panning the pool underwater. When the face of little Ace and Kacie appeared large in front of her, she jumped! Both of them seemed to pause at the camera almost as if they had a sense of her presence. She knew it was a one way view, but the way they seemed to be looking directly at her and smiling was spooky!

When the two kids surfaced they looked at each other knowingly. "The secret lady of the pool lives down there! "Kacie was actually the one with the sensory perception that could feel the presence of the spirit of the pool. But she was sharing the secret with her brother. "Now don't tell, or the secret lady will go away to another pool..ok Ace?" He nodded his agreement to her. Secrets were fun!

**Chapter XVIII**

Tippin brought the phone out to EJ who was toweling off after the swim with Ace and Kacie. The look of concern on Tippin's face coupled with is low whispers to EJ was enough to make Sami look up from her lap top and pull the reading glasses from her eyes. When EJ stood up and made for the house, still talking low into the phone.she told Tippin to remain here with the kids, and followed behind him.

Her look of question was directed at him, but his hand stayed her from asking him what was wrong. Harris was on the other line, and EJ was listening intently.

"How long ago?..who were the eyewitnesses? One of her colleagues? What is her name?" EJ was furiously writing the information on a notepad. "Where is John at?"

When Sami heard that, she took the notepad from his hands reading:

"Doctor Evans snatched on the street in apparent random kidnapping!"

"Several witnesses, it was in broad daylight, in front of colleague, Dr. LaDierma."

"John returning from Boston today1"

As Sami read the note, the words kidnapping leaped out at her. "My God, not again!"

EJ took the pad back, and this time would not let her see the writing. He wrote "clothing found, blood stained, tests being run to determine if it is Dr. Evans."

This was a new and improved police department now that EJ had instituted some changes. Lab evidence was handled by Mythic Labs under the strictest security. Physical evidence was under a strict chain of custody log rules, and never was physical evidence to be not in the sight and control of at least two officers. The lesson of Chelsea Brady was finally well learned.

"Alright then, I will tell her, but keep me informed of any developments. Thank you Harris. The trip, well it was very interesting..quite an adventure for us actually..I learned a great deal!"

EJ looked at his wife, reading her worry in the brow that was furrowed. He took her into the shelter of his arms, and bent his lips to the top of her head.

"I am sorry..but John is on his way now, and we will bring her back Samantha. Now, I don't wish to alarm you, but they have found clothing of hers with blood on it.."

Sami pulled away in alarm, the fear in her eyes made him regret saying it quite so precipitously, "Hey, we are not sure it is hers even, but it appears it is not enough to indictate any life threatening injury, God Samantha, I am so sorry."

Sami squared her shoulders, and went to make the calls to Eric, Belle and Carrie. It seemed none of them knew yet, and it was up to her to take charge of this until John got back. She took the phone from EJ and dialed Eric first. He promised he and Trey would be on the first plane out. Belle broke down, and EJ told Belle he would send a car for all of them, at a time like this they needed to all be together. When she called Carrie, Lloyd answered that Carrie was out shopping. Sami told him that EJ thought it wise for all of them to be in one location, and would he mind bringing Carrie to the house. Kacie would enjoy seeing her aunt, and the other children would too.

Sami then tried calling John. It disturbed her that he would not have his cell phone on, he knew Marlena had been fragile lately, everyone was noticing it. He should have been available. When she saw him, she planned on giving him a piece of her mind. The only thing she expected of John was that he be there for her mother!

The press conference was to be held at the Wells Estate. EJ figured all the kids would be the most protected from the crush of the other press this way, even Bo and Hope had brought their two over. Bo was one of the first who had arrived on the scene. EJ had arranged for Chandler to arrive with Doctor LaDierma. When she arrived, EJ had been surprised when Andy's mother and Andy both greeted her.

"You know the doctor, Madyln?"EJ was surprised.

"Yes, we were seatmates on the trip over from London. Her and Andy talked quite a bit, I am afraid I slept..took a sleeping pill.I just hate to fly".

EJ remembered the conversation he had with Andy, although conversation was not exactly the word that would have described it. He remembered thinking it odd about the woman asking about the legends surrounding this house. He then looked a bit closer at the Doctor, trying to figure if he had ever met her before. Since she was the one who had been with Marlena at the time of the snatch, he was going to have a lot of questions for her, but it would not be him asking them. He preferred to keep a professional distance. This is what he employed either Harris, Matt or the secondary people he had under him at the Salem Police Department. This was a town he controlled.

Samantha went to speak with the Doctor. She wanted to know everything, and the Doctor was sympathetic to a fault. It was such a shock, she knew. Not the way she expected to be introduced to life in Salem. She had not slept a wink since the incident. It was supposed to be the day she would have met her first patients, now it looked as though she was going to need counseling herself to overcome the trauma!

Raphael kept close by his boss. Doctor Ladierma often leaned on him for support during the course of the next hour as the questions from the press were directed first at the Commander, then to her. When it was time for her to give a full statement, she stepped up and was able to give it in a most graceful and commanding way.

"First of all, I want to thank the staff at University Hospital for all they have done for me during this ordeal. When the men grabbed us off the street, poor Doctor Evans had the misfortune to be grabbed by the larger of the men. She did not have a chance, they both acted so quickly! I was almost myself pulled into the van, and once that happened it would have been over for both of us I am sure. As of now, I am contributing to the reward fund set up by Mythic for information leading to the safe return of Doctor Evans and justice meted out to these men who have done this evil deed!

I hope to be able to at least take on some of her patient load so the day she comes back to us, her patients will have been taken care of! Thank you all and God bless!"

Raphael whispered to her when she stepped down :"God Bless? Really my love, you don't have to go knee deep in it do you?'

"Raphael, you do things your way, I do them mine. My religious heritage is deep and meaningful!"

"Sorry, lost my head!"

**Chapter IX**

"What is going on downstairs Nanny?" Justin wanted to know, and he was peering over the banister at the crowd coming into the foyer to be served refreshments by Tippin and Lorene.

"Look, children, we need ye all to head into the playroom, no need for them reporter types thinking they can way lay you all and be asking questions..you need to get in now."Nanny was not going to give it up, and Justin knew better than to keep on asking. Nanny was a rock, and not one to give in at all no matter how you pestered her.

Andy peered over and pointed out the woman he had met on the plane! "Look, Justin, that is the woman who knew about all the tunnels and stuff under your house! She was the one I told your dad about from the plane!"

Nanny came over when she heard this exchange. She herded them back into the play room, but took a moment to see who Andy referred to. One of her duties was to keep Mr. Wells informed of any unusual people who showed an interest in the children or any of the family. It seemed to her, the house was part of the family. When she got the chance, she would make sure Mr. Wells was made aware of this.

Samantha finally had reached John on his phone. He knew everything, and promised he would be there as quickly as he could. First he wanted to stop off at the penthouse and see if she had tried to reach him. Sami felt badly at how she had been angry at him before, he sounded so upset, worried, and concerned not only for Marlena, but for how all the rest of the family was reacting. He asked to speak with Belle, and Sami called her little sister over to speak with her father.

Belle had been crying nonstop since Sami had them brought in. Tippin was busy now getting several guest rooms ready to take care of the overnight guests. All the children were to be put in the same room, with Nannie overseeing it. Belle and Shawn got the upstairs guest room, Eric and Trey in the guest house, and Carrie and Lloyd were being put up in the downstairs guest room. Tippin had it all organized within a half hour, down to fresh linens and flowers in the vases on the bureaus. EJ was insisting the family present a united front, and if it took all of them under one roof, that was what it would be.

Bo Brady was observing EJ from the corner of the room. While he could understand him wanting to protect the children from the onslaught of the press, he was suspicious of Wells as always. The police department was now just another arm of EJ Wells organization, Bo knew the commander answered to EJ, and if there were any secrets going on in the department, EJ was the source. The investigation into the bombing of the Pub was dead in the water, and that weighed on Bo. He wanted to know who was responsible, and he wanted them brought to justice. John had tried to make Bo let it go saying "Bo, they almost killed his family, EJ is still DiMera in a lot of ways. There is no way he has not settled that score."

Bo's answer was the same as it was now, "I want my score settled as well. I lost my mother, and my father!"

John had then hit Bo with the truth of the matter. "Bo, Sean loved you, but he is not your father, your father is Victor Kirakis. Develop some kind of relationship with him..he is your sons grandfather, your granchildrens great grandfather. I do not think he is going to live long either, would you like to see Phillip end up with everything..mend that fence now!"

Bo was scornful, "He may have been someone I wanted to know once, but not after what he did to Shawn and Belle with Phillip. He is scum, Phillip is scum, and EJ still has things to answer for."

Shawn found Belle in the room they had been made comfortable in. "Wow, look what Sami ended up in, you know, I have never been upstairs in this place. Of all the people in Salem to land in the butter crock who would have thought it would be your big sister".

"Shawn, don't start on her. We owe her a lot, and you owe her your little brothers life."

'Yeah, you're right. But that debt was paid when Dad and I got them out of Turkey on the Fancy Face. I figure we are even, so if they mess up with us or my family again, we got another feud going!" Shawn had really hated Sami writing those books, now with his Grandfather gone, the old resentments were bubbling up once again. It galled him that much of the funds to reconstruct the Pub were coming from Sami. The Pubs insurance policy had never been upgraded to cover acts of terrorism.

Plopping himself down on the bed, he was amazed at the plushness of it, as he sank into the memory foam of the mattress. He realized this one bed probably cost more than the whole bedroom in his and Belles home. At that moment Claire came running in, Jessica and Kacie were right behind her.

"Daddy, come and see what we are doing in the playroom!" Claire was ten now, and still the apple of her fathers eye. When she grabbed his hand and propelled him out into the hallway down to the enormous room designated as the playroom. Again, he was struck at the difference in lifestyles. A big screen t.v, on which Justin and another boy were playing a video game was in one corner of the room. There was air hockey, foosball, pinball, and a mini trampoline in the room, but Claire was heading him towards the computer set up. Jessica fired it up, and Bo was amazed at what he was seeing. He had expected to be pulled into some kind of doll house play, but what he saw was a video that the girls had put together and uploaded onto U-Tube.

It was a montage of the Pub as it had been, as it was now in the rebuilding stage, along with a lot of pictures and film of Caroline and Sean. Irish music played along as it was shown. The two girls all spoke a bit about Caroline and Sean, and how much they missed them.

"Jessica has been talking about doing this for a long time, and now with Claires help she was able to get most of it done. Shawn, how would it be if this was shown at the Grand Opening!" Sami had come up behind him, and Belle stood there too, tears glistening from her eyes.

'Oh Sami, that would be wonderful! Girls, I am so proud of you..this is so beautiful."Belle reached for Shawns hand and squeezed. He was silent, but his face had never left the screen or the images of his mom and dad. The mourning that should have helped heal him never had really started until this moment.

The boys came over to see what the girls had done, and they also were impressed! Justin added some thoughts to it, and Ace thanked his Grandpa Sean for teaching how to keep secrets from the enemy, Kacie just said I loved you both so much. That was enough to make Shawn lose it, and he ran back to the room.

Kacie went to Claire, "I am sorry we made your daddy cry, " But Belle hugged her as she told her niece., "You gave him a wonderful gift, and he needed to cry honey, he needed it very much!"

Kacie understood that, there were times she too wanted to cry. Like now, she felt sad for the lady in the pool. She could feel the lady did not want to be there. When all the people were gone, she was going to go tell Mommy and Daddy they must drain the pool, and let the lady out.

**Chapter XX**

John answered the bell, and when Kristen walked in, the kiss they shared was immediate and passionate. Raphael had dropped her off at the Penthouse Grille, and after she ate a quick meal, she headed to the elevator and her meeting with John. They had decided as long as she was the one who had last seen Marlena, it would not seem strange for her to be visiting him at their apartment to "share information"

It took them only ten minutes to be in bed, making love under the silken comforter that Marlena loved. The tan coloring of it was something that was very complimentary to Kristens skin tones. John could not help thinking that as he looked at her. He wondered how he could ever have made love to Marlena in this bed. It seemed like a bad dream.

"So what does your step daughter have to say to you about all of this?"Kristen was lighting a cigarette, and passing it to John. He took a drag, forgetting that he did not smoke, but it was also natural to him now, and he did not cough at all. He did not think about all these things too long and hard, it made things jumbled inside, and he felt too good to want to mess it up.

"Oh well, Sami is Sami. She will get on, she always does. Belle though, she is gonna miss her mother terribly. They were very very close."

"Don't worry John, I will be a good step mother to her. In a few months, she will accept me as though I had always been the one for you. I have, you know. I have always been the one you wanted, the one you needed. Marlena was a poor substitute." Her whispers were like a sirens call to John. Kristen was his promised houri, and he found himself drowning in her voice, her kiss, her body. Marlena became more and more a distant memory, and Kristen rejoiced in her fathers granting of this one wish to her.

After the press conference was over, the whole family had been treated to a wonderful dinner by the hand of Alfred, Tippin and Lorene. The kids were treating it as a major sleepover, Hope had even agreed to let Zach and Julianna stay, though Bo had not seemed happy at the idea.

Carrie was quiet as she always was when around EJ or Sami, but was grateful when Kacie had come down to ask her and Lloyd to come up and read to them. Sami had given a nod of permission, and while it annoyed Carrie to have to feel as though she needed to ask for it, she understood why things were the way they were.

"Carrie, before you go up, would you come in here with me and EJ, we would like to speak with you and Lloyd if you have a moment."

Carrie quietly followed them into the library, and Lloyd sat next to her. He was smiling as though he knew what might be up, which irritated Carrie bit. He was her husband, and should not have secrets from her.

The folders spread out on the table were appalling. Children with limbs hacked off, women with the haunted eyes of the raped, and then there were the babies. Emaciated, and having the look of the living dead, it was horrible to behold.

"Carrie, EJ would like you and Lloyd to help these people. We have made some commitments already, but with this happening to Mom, I have to free up this time."

Lloyd had already been approached by EJ before the camping trip, but he had not wanted to tell Carrie until he had done all the due diligence on it he felt was warranted. This was an EJ Wells endeavor after all, and though he was known for a lot of philanthropic work, he was also known for some dealings best left under the leaves they were hidden by. He wanted this for Carrie though, she still missed being mother to Kacie, and he knew this would give her something that would give her life meaning once again.

"Look, you don't have to give us an answer right away, but read up on what the project is about. I think you both would do a splendid job"

Chapter XX

John answered the bell, and when Kristen walked in, the kiss they shared was immediate and passionate. Raphael had dropped her off at the Penthouse Grille, and after she ate a quick meal, she headed to the elevator and her meeting with John. They had decided as long as she was the one who had last seen Marlena, it would not seem strange for her to be visiting him at their apartment to "share information"

It took them only ten minutes to be in bed, making love under the silken comforter that Marlena loved. The tan coloring of it was something that was very complimentary to Kristens skin tones. John could not help thinking that as he looked at her. He wondered how he could ever have made love to Marlena in this bed. It seemed like a bad dream.

"So what does your step daughter have to say to you about all of this?"Kristen was lighting a cigarette, and passing it to John. He took a drag, forgetting that he did not smoke, but it was also natural to him now, and he did not cough at all. He did not think about all these things too long and hard, it made things jumbled inside, and he felt too good to want to mess it up.

"Oh well, Sami is Sami. She will get on, she always does. Belle though, she is gonna miss her mother terribly. They were very very close."

"Don't worry John, I will be a good step mother to her. In a few months, she will accept me as though I had always been the one for you. I have, you know. I have always been the one you wanted, the one you needed. Marlena was a poor substitute." Her whispers were like a sirens call to John. Kristen was his promised houri, and he found himself drowning in her voice, her kiss, her body. Marlena became more and more a distant memory, and Kristen rejoiced in her fathers granting of this one wish to her.

After the press conference was over, the whole family had been treated to a wonderful dinner by the hand of Alfred, Tippin and Lorene. The kids were treating it as a major sleepover, Hope had even agreed to let Zach and Julianna stay, though Bo had not seemed happy at the idea.

Carrie was quiet as she always was when around EJ or Sami, but was grateful when Kacie had come down to ask her and Lloyd to come up and read to them. Sami had given a nod of permission, and while it annoyed Carrie to have to feel as though she needed to ask for it, she understood why things were the way they were.

"Carrie, before you go up, would you come in here with me and EJ, we would like to speak with you and Lloyd if you have a moment."

Carrie quietly followed them into the library, and Lloyd sat next to her. He was smiling as though he knew what might be up, which irritated Carrie bit. He was her husband, and should not have secrets from her.

The folders spread out on the table were appalling. Children with limbs hacked off, women with the haunted eyes of the raped, and then there were the babies. Emaciated, and having the look of the living dead, it was horrible to behold.

"Carrie, EJ would like you and Lloyd to help these people. We have made some commitments already, but with this happening to Mom, I have to free up this time."

Lloyd had already been approached by EJ before the camping trip, but he had not wanted to tell Carrie until he had done all the due diligence on it he felt was warranted. This was an EJ Wells endeavor after all, and though he was known for a lot of philanthropic work, he was also known for some dealings best left under the leaves they were hidden by. He wanted this for Carrie though, she still missed being mother to Kacie, and he knew this would give her something that would give her life meaning once again.

"Look, you don't have to give us an answer right away, but read up on what the project is about. I think you both would do a splendid job" EJ pushed over the prospectus and the brochures about the refugees. This was a job for people who wanted to be completely selfless. EJ knew Lloyd was bent that way from all the pro bono work he did in his legal practice. That was also why he was not doing well financially. This would be a way for him to do good and do well. He hoped Carrie would be sensible about it too.

The project was one of EJ's pet ones, having to do with providing a way for sustainable agriculture for the barren areas of a corner of Darfur. Irrigation had been established, and now it was to be a project of tree and vegetation replanting. Once the trees were producing, the need for irrigation would be lessened, as the cycle of retaining moisture would help and the re growth of the natural vegetation would help as well. It was the rape of the land as well as the rape of the people that had made life so hard. He was paying well to keep the militants in line, and once they saw a way to live without killing, he had hopes life would get better for these people. Stefano had not ever thought of the havoc he wreaked when he went in to sell weapons to one side in a war, Money was his only guiding principle.

Later that night, as EJ and Sami went into the childrens room to tuck them all in, EJ bent to Kacie, she was always the first one he went to.

"Daddy, we need to empty out the pool and let the fairy lady loose ok?"

"Oh my, we have a pool fairy? Now how did we get so lucky as that? "EJ smiled at her imagination.

"Yes we do have one, I heard her today, she is very sad and scared down there, so we must empty the pool, and pull out the plug and she can crawl out then.".

"But Kacie-facie, the pool is going to be shut down next week anyway for fall, and the cover will be over it, and the fairy will go down for the long winter fairy nap anyway. "

"Daddy, this fairy is real..not a make believe one. We have to let her out!" he was not getting anywhere with this argument EJ could see, so he decided to try the old humor the child, and she will forget about it tactic.

"Kacie-facie, we shall certainly see about that then, now go on to sleep.". she looked up at him in complete trust, and rather than look at her and feel absolute guilt he moved onto the next bed!

**Chapter XXI**

Kacie was lying on her tummy at the deep end of the pool peering down to the bottom when Sami looked up from her laptop and the writing she had been doing.

"Kacie..come on now, you know you are not supposed to be at the deep end without your life jacket on or Daddy with you. Come away now!" Sami's voice was firm, she expected to get no argument from her daughter on this.

"Mom, when do we drain the pool to let the pool fairy out?' Kacie did not move from her position, which irritated Sami a bit.

"Sweetie, please come over here to me now and put the jacket on. If Daddy comes outside and sees you not wearing it, he is going to be angry!" Blame it on the other parent was always a way to get something done! Sami figured why not?

"Mom, we hafta do it soon or she is gonna be died!" Kacie was stubbornly not moving from her vantage point. Sami got up in exasperation and walked over to look at what Kacie was talking about.

"Kacie, how do you know there is a fairy down there?" Sami got down on her tummy beside Kacie to peer down into the blue depths. EJ had relayed the story of the pool fairy to her, and they had both been amused at the little girls big imagination. Now Sami was a bit concerned though, Kacie not minding was bothering her.

"She dreams her Mommy, like the little bear, remember?" Now Ace had come over to lie down beside his mom and sister. "When we swimmed down there last week, Kacie shared her with me. She is telling you the truth. The pool fairy is gonna be dead if we don't get her outa there. That's a fact!" at that Sami looked at her son, wondering how he could mimic his Popa John with both the voice and the eyebrow. She laughed in spite of herself. It was funny and cute, except the dreaming part. When Kacie had been asked by Sami and EJ how she had found the bear cub, she told them simply:

"I dreamed it, the bear cub came to my dream and said follow me. So I did, and the nexted day when I woke up, I walked down the path and saw the little bear go in the log. It dreamed it for me to find it!"

Ace went over to the diving board and did his cannonball, soaking her to the skin, Kacie dving in along with him, which meant Mom was going swimming too! Sami threw off the robe and dove in to join them. Swimming down to the bottom with Ace, he pointed to the little meshed off area that hid the drain , and Kacie grabbed hold of it to peer into it. She pointed to it then gave a little wavy motion indicating wings before she headed to the surface.

Marlena woke up and marked another day off on her wall with her fingernails. She figured it had been three days out from the sickness that had kept her curled up on the bed. Now she could smell the foulness of how ill she had been, and knew she had to clean this up or die of the putridness. In the small closet she found a whisk broom and a couple of sponges, but nothing else. She did the best she could to get rid of the smell of her sweat and vomit, then decided she should clean herself too. That was when the other part of the withdrawal hit her. The shower head stared back at her, and she just knew it would not give clean water, but the gas that would kill her. That was the plan, they wanted her dead. Well, she would not die for them. John would come and save her, and the evil ones who had put her here would be sorry!

"Kacie, I am sorry honey, but I don't see anything there..but you know baby, lots of kids have imaginary friends..maybe the fairy is yours!"

Her daughter looked up at her with an expression of self doubt. If her own mother would not listen, who would then? "You know, Kacie, mom might believe you if we got some of the fairies hair! Ace whispered to his sister. He after all, knew the whole truth!

Shutting her eyes tight and willing herself to see the fairy again, Kacie used the secret she knew she had to send the fairy the message.

"Don't give up, little fairy, I love you, and I will make Mom and Dad listen and get you out! You don't belong there! Fairies go in the gardens not under the pool!"

Marlena then heard the music in her head. It was pleasant, like the sound of bells tinkling with a sweet tune. She was able to lay down after and just listen to the sound in her head, without seeing the bugs crawling over the ceiling now. The music was soft, and cooling, and soon she slept again.

The brass sign on the door stated that this office belonged to Dr. Antonia LaDierma, and Lexie opened the door while carrying a stack of files in. The woman standing on the step ladder adjusting one of the myriad framed professional diplomas and certificates did not acknowledge hearing her come in so Lexie coughed lightly.

'Oh hello, sorry, with all this pounding I did not hear you!" She climbed down and took the stack of files from the clerk, she assumed Lexie to be, and introduced herself as Dr. La Dierma.

"Yes, I am Dr. Carver..recently reestablished credentials here, I tell you that since you will hear it later anyway..you know hospital gossip grapevines..news travels fast, dirt gets around faster!"

"Oh yes, yes, all of that is old hat to me..I am so glad to make your acquaintance..I have heard so much about you from mutual acquaintances!"

That piqued Lexies interest.."and who might those be?"

"How about our Father, Stefano DiMera, or our brother Anthony DiMera..yes Lexie, it is me, Kristen...and please don't faint, that won't do either of us any good." Lexie was transfixed in horror. Was there no end to the relatives willing to climb up out of the DiMera pit to make life difficult for her and Theo once more?

"Don't look like you expect me to murder you Lexie..Raphael does that type work for me. I am here to make you and Theo an offer. And yes, it is an offer you can't refuse!'

'Kristen..."Lexie hesitated.

"Lexie, please, I am to be known as Antonia LaDierma. Don't' forget that, remember it as though your life depended on it. You were saying?" Kristen continued hanging the diplomas.

"When did you become a psychiatrist? "Lexie knew that Kristen had been missing for years, some of that time in a white slavery situation and some in a prison. Now seeing how evil she looked, Lexie really wished she had written or something.

"A psychiatrist, me? Oh well, this was easy enough, not like it is brain surgery you know! I am not a doctor, but I sure can become one via the internet!" her laughter was sounding amused and diabolical at the same time to her adopted half sister..at least she thought that was what she was to Kristen..Salem and DiMera genealogy was often a complicated mess.

**Chapter XXII**

Raphael looked down on John who was still asleep. "What a woman like that sees in someone like you is beyond me." He shook him awake, it was four a.m. and time to make a visit to the guest. He figured by now she may have shaken off some of the withdrawal systems, enough to need a clean set of clothing, some more food and water, and just the reassuring presence of some human contact. Kristen really knew how to apply psychological pressure, all those years in the haren, then the prison had given her some useful techniques.

John came to, and Raphael gave him the pills along with a glass of water. The drug used to keep him pliant, and open to Kristens suggestions was also a drug that could cause some powerful migraine headaches if not managed properly. Raphael really detested being the nursemaid to this man, but he was being paid to follow orders.

Swallowing the pills, John thanked Raphael with a nod of his head. He remembered this was the day they were to visit...her name escaped him for a second..then he saw the picture by his bedside. The honey blonde woman with the squinty eyed smile..Marlena, yes, that was her name. He hoped it would not take too long. He wanted to visit Kristen at the hospital, maybe have time for a cup of coffee. His need to see her was like a drug.

It had been late when John had left her bed at the Salem Inn. This sneaking around was wearing on him, but Kristen kept telling him it would only be a few months and they could openly declare their love. By then, Marlena would be hopelessly insane, and when she was released by her captors, John could play the bereaved but loyal husband for a bit, then the rest of the world could accept the fact that he had fallen in love again. With Antonia LaDierma!

Her alarm went off at five a.m. and Kristen stretched her long limbs. It had been a most invigorating night making love to John. Now she needed to take an early morning run to think things over as she cleared her head, and ran over her plans in her mind. Her father had agreed not to interfere; in fact he seemed amused by what she had up her sleeve! Kristen had sat for hours with Raphael devising this strategy, and when it had all been laid out for him he had actually praised her for the genius of it. Her running route involved going through the park to the area along the pier. As she passed the Pub, she could see Bo already at work, pounding shingles onto the roof. His son Shawn was painting the front window sills. Bo saw her and quickly climbed down to come to greet her.

"You are pretty brave to be willing to travel this route so soon after what just happened..aren't you a little nervous.?"

She showed him her can of pepper spray, and for good measure picked went over to his brick walk pebbles, and broke one with her hand. "I can take care of myself, I was just not expecting anything like that on that day, or Marlena would still here with us right now!"

Bo was impressed, and nodded his head in approval. "Yeah, I see what you mean! See you later Doctor, and I am glad to know you are going to be seeing my father Victor. He stopped by yesterday and said he had made an appointment with you." She knew immediately Bo was trying to dredge information out of her.

"I really cant be discussing patients with you Mr. Brady, I hope you can understand" going professional on him seemed to keep him off balance, just as she needed him to be."Now, I really have to finish this run out, it keeps me clearheaded for my work.

Kristen looked forward to all of this, it was really a much better idea than killing Marlena. In a way it was to be a form of eternal death for Marlena..locked up with all the people she had diagnosed over the years! Using techniques forged in some of the more dark ages of mental health, Kristen was mappig out the way to destroy the mind of her enemy for all time. The other great part of the plan was that it would also be a way to destroy EJ Wells at the same time, and recover what was rightfully hers!

When she made it back to the Inn, the phone was flashing a message light. The voice mail message was sweet, but also irritating. John should have known better than to call and leave a message, and Raphael definitely knew better than to let him. He was going to get a talking to when he next reported in!

EJ was also out for a run that morning before he headed in to his office. He had been made aware of Kristens daily route, and decided it might be interesting to have a chat with her to let her know he was not as dim as she seemed to think he was. Once Nanny had relayed the information to him about the airplane chat, he had put his machine in motion.

His long legged stride matched hers, but he was swifter so when he passed her up, he turned and waved gaily in greeting. Making it to the end of the running path, he waited on her, running in place. When she caught up to him, she smiled her hello, and made to turn about to finish up, when one of his strong arms caught hers up.

'I think you should know, my sweet cousin, this town is not really a place you belong in. False medical degrees may fool some people, but I am not one to be fooled by anyone, least of all you. Stefano may have let you out to play, but I warn you, this is my playpen, and I will not allow you to foul it up..are we clear on that?"

"Let go of my arm or I shall have to hurt you!"Kristen snarled at him.

"Please, do your worst! I normally don't harm women, but then again, this isn't really a normal situation is it?"

She had to smile, he was charming, she would give him that! "You are so DiMera, we worried about you going all soft on us..had Stef quite worried".

"Stefano knows he has nothing to worry about, I make money for the family, and you are probably getting your share, so why are you here trying to scare up a hornets nest?"

"I have scores to settle, just as Papa did, ones I need to settle up, also just as Papa did, ..so it would be best if you just stayed out of my way, and let me get on with it. Then you can have your dull little Salem back just the way it was when I came here"

"You better be telling the truth if you want to live long enough to enjoy your victory!" EJ finally let go of her arm, and she rubbed at it, already seeing the bruise forming.

**Chapter XXIII**

"Damn, it stinks in here!" That was the first comment Raphael made as he entered into the pump room that had been converted into the prison for Marlean. She was starting to exhibit the symptoms Kristen had read about, when someone one was kept in complete isolation, with no real outside contact.

They saw she had not bothered to turn on any of the sets that would have let her see a bit of the outside world, and now since Kristen had decided to hasten her destruction, they would not allow it anyway, and began to dismantle the sets and cameras.

In some of her studies, Kristen had been reading about how SHU, or segregated housing units in what were being termed super prisons could turn prisoners psychotic. Kristen remembered well what happened with prisoners relegated to the "hole" for long periods in the prison in Turkey. It could easily be recreated here, and obviously Marlena had not spent nearly enough time in that hole..damn EJ and Sami for not just taking off instead of doing that foolish and dangerous resuce mission. Funny, they had believed themselves to be rescuing Kristen as a way to retrieve their little brat from Stefano. Her work would already be done if they had not been so heroic!

Marlena tried being defiant "John is coming for me you know, and when he does, he is going to kill you both! You both will die, die, die!" Raphael stood over her, and threw her a towel. "You are going to get in that shower and clean up..damn, I can hardly stand to be in the same room with you!"

"Start the water for her, now!" he gave John the order, and John took it that way. For some reason, his ability to question or make his own decisions was not available to him anymore. Turning toward the cowering woman, he ordered her also "get undressed and get in that shower this instant!" Her response was to curl up into a tighter ball, shielding her arms and her head from his onslaught when it began.

John was the one he made wash her up, laughing in derision as he saw him recoil from the task. Amazing, a week or so ago, and John worshipped the ground this woman walked upon, now he could only see her as a disgusting piece of human rubbish. Loathe to touch her, he managed to at least be fairly gentle as he used the loofah to scrub her down. When he finished getting her clean, she was given a clean pair of sweats to put on.

"Here now, Dr. Kristen says we must give you a bit of this to help things along. It will help you sleep..but the dreams are a bitch!" h eplunged the needle in, and Marlena was so unhinged at the site of it, she did not even flinch, just stared into space fixated on a vision only she was aware of at the time.

Pyschotrophic drugs were a great help in treating the mentally ill. Kristen also now knew used the right way they could induce the illness. Marlena was going to be her first patient to undergo this specially designed therapy she had invented.

Carrie looked at her watch, and the front door of the Cheatin Heart, without the pub being open, this was one of the few watering holes left on this end of town catering to the working stiffs of the wharf. When she saw Sami walk in, she signaled to the bartender to bring over the beers she had ordered earlier. Belle also entered just behind Sami, and they all sat down to talk over what to think about John. He was so strange the past few days, and for all the times he had been worried about Marlena, from Alex North to the last New Jersey kidnapping, he had never not shared what was happening with Belle at least. This was what had Sami so worried, worried enough to call both her sisters to a meeting to decide if an intervention was needed.

"Sami, there is nothing wrong with Dad, he is just worried sick about Mom now!" Belle was not buying into Sami's ideas for a minute. Carrie also was willing to dismiss them, after all, Sami was still Sami, and if you read any of her books it was obvious she had axes to grind with everyone in the Brady family, or even remotely connected to them.

"Belle, I called him today to remind him it was time to do another press release about Mom, and he didn't seem the slightest bit interested...I asked him over for dinner, the kids are worried about him, Ace just adores him, and he said no, he didn't feel like company!"

Carrie took a sip of her beer, looking through the brown of the bottle at her younger sister, before giving he opinion. "He may not want to have anything to do with you Sami, since the last thing you did to Marlena was ..."

Sami cut in, "save her life? That is what EJ and I did last for Mom, the book has been out over two years now, she was over it, I promise.!"Sami was not going to apologize for writing a book that made the best seller list and showed how complex the relationship of mothers and daughters could be, with either side giving as good as it got.

"I have forgiven Mom for keeping Kacie from me, but EJ is a different matter..he thinks she not only kept us from Kacie, but Ace as well. Our flesh and blood, but Ace was just thrown like a piece of trash. Thank God John did not have that kind of heart. So, back to what we came here for..John needs us, I think we all should go to the Penthouse and talk to him, offer our support, whatever her needs. EJ feels the same way!"

Two more beers apiece, and the girls were in agreement. They marched out of the Cheatin Heart arm in arm, and headed towards the center of town where the penthouse loomed over the city center. Belle had the key so they let themselves in. John was not home yet, so they made themselves at home, sitting together to go through some of the albums their mother had put together and laid out around the coffee table.

The key in the door made them all look up, expecting John to walk in. They did not of course expect the tall and leggy Dr. Antonia LaDierma to enter, dropping her purse on their mothers desk as if she owned the place!

**Chapter XXIV**

EJ poured another glass of wine for Samantha, frowning at her as she downed it in three sips, slammed the glass down, then looked at him to pour another. She had picked at her dinner, and even been a bit short with the kids until Nanny came down to take them up for baths.

"Bad day, darling?" he did not pour another one, but removed the glass from her hands for safekeeping.

"What do we know about that Doctor LaDierma?" Sami knew not much went on in Salem that got past EJ.

He did not answer her for a moment, but placed his hand over hers to try and stall for a moment while he figured out what she knew, and why she was asking this question. She was not buying his stalling technique though, so she took the bottle herself and poured it into her glass, and removed her hand from beneath his.

"She walked into John and Moms' apartment today EJ, with her own key, and acted like Belle and I were the intruders there. Then she made up some cocky story about having to use the hospitals key that Mom left with them to come over and pick up some files Mom had there. EJ, Mom was a professional, she did not takes patients files out of the hospital, and leave them lying about the apartment." Once again, EJ put his hand over hers, but what he was hearing was troubling. Kristen was making the move on John, so what ever she had done with Marlena, she was not feeling like she had to be cautious at all.

He had Harris on it, and Matthew. Now it seemed as though John may have been compromised already. All he fricking needed was Sami, Belle and Carrie deciding to call John out on his disloyalty to their mother. Kristen was going to be a handful as it was. He decided Samantha needed a bit of distraction. It wouldn't do him any harm either.

Reaching over, he set her wine glass down, then pulled her onto his lap. She resisted him at first, wanting to brood about the events of the day, but he was not going to be denied anyway. His kiss was gentle at first, then more insistent. He needed this and so did she. Without saying a word, he picked her up and carried her into the privacy of the family room sofa, shutting the door as he did. Once inside, he lay down beside of her, letting his hands trail down to the buttons on the dress she wore. The fire caught on with her then too, as it always did, and her fingers moved to his tie, then the shirt he wore as well. It was quick, and fierce, a fire that raged within the two of them, quickly starting the inferno, then just a as quickly ebbed. Their need was assuaged for the moment, and some of the anger and energy she had exhibited earlier was now calmed as she clung against him.

"Look, I know you have great fears for your mother, and I promise, I am doing everything I can to find out what has happened here, do you trust me darling?'

"EJ of course I trust you, but that woman was with Mom the day she disappeared, John is acting so strange, and now this woman who Mom helped get on staff apparently is walking into her apartment..I mean it looked for a moment like she might be having some sort of affair with John..that was how weird it looked, just the way she carried herself when she walked in!"

EJ was silent. He knew Kristen had once been madly in love with John, and John had loved her also. The ledgers Stefano left not only told of the business history of the DiMeras, it also told the story of loves won, loves lost, and loves that should have been left buried and never dug up again. Unfortunately, Kristen was apparently digging up bones that should have been left alone.

"Come on now, we need to go say goodnight to the children, and maybe you need to give them some extra special attention".

"Oh man, I was a witch wasn't I?"

"Not at all, you are human. They understand darling, and they love you more for caring if they have done their homework and picked up their rooms! We do not need a passle of spoiled brats on our hands..you are the only one who is allowed that designation!"

"Daddy, we have to help the pool fairy soon ok, the pool will be closed next week, so we can drain it then huh?"Kacie was hugging her daddy, and making one last effort to plead her case.

"Sweetie, it is very wasteful of our water resources to do that..remember how I said we must save water so all the fishes and the froggies in the world will have enough to drink and swim in?"but Kacie still looked at him with a plea in her eyes that was almost melting his heart enough to agree.

"Hey Daddy, why don't we just try to go through the secret tunnel under the pool?" Justin had never told his father about his penchant for looking up the old blue prints that were held in the basement security room closet in the cardboard tubes that lined the wall.

"Justin, what are you talking about?"EJ was amused but curious. It would be like his son to go looking for old passages in this very unusual house.

"Andy and I were talking about all the buried treasure rumours here, he wanted to go look, so we opened up a tube and the plans show there used to be a secret tunnel under the pool. Our bad side of the family used it to escape from the cops a long time ago. Or at least that is what Andy said." Justin felt a bit disloyal talking about the bad side of the family.

"Justin, which tube did you find that information in?" EJ had meant for Harris to take all those old tubes and store them in a humidity proof deposit box soon. Now he cursed himself for his failing to follow through.

Just then Kacie piped up,"Daddy, Mommy, that's it, that is what I dreamed how she got down there, she went from the secret tunnel..but she didn't want to go..it was on a accident!"

**Chapter XXV**

EJ listened now to Kacies words a bit more carefully, he was asking her just what her dreams had been about. Jessica often told the family funny stories about her little sister knowing things, and they had been amused about Kacie finding lost items, or how she seemed to know if they wanted something and she would have retrieved it before they said a word.

"Daddy, Kacie found my favorite baseball glove when Sophie got hold of it..at least she found what was left of it!" Justin had remembered that with a touch of sadness.

"EJ, the keys to the pool shed, I had dropped them down by the hydrant, and the ivy was hiding them, I was looking all over and she came outside and went straight to them!"Sami had been so pleased, she never thought to ask Kacie how she knew they were there.

"Kacie, how did you know the keys were in the ivy?"

"Mommy, I felt outside of me, and saw where you drop'ted them!"

All of them remembered how Kacie had found the bear cub. "Mommy, I told you, the cub dreamed me up to go see him in his log. Then when I saw the log it's mommy put it in, I went to see it, and there it was, just like it dreamed to me!"

Ace was circumspect about his sisters talents, as he had listened to the whole discourse, "Kace, can you dream where the treasure is tonight? Then in the morning we can all go find it!"

EJ lay holding Samantha against him, neither of them sleeping, but each for different reasons. He was going over in his head the conversation with Kristen, and the details he knew about Marlena's abduction. He had gone downstairs to look at the blueprint tube, and though it did show at one time there was a tunnel area, the ledger accounts showed it had been closed up by Tony DiMera. Except when he dug deeper, he saw that Lucas Roberts had been responsible for taking care of it. Now to be sure, he would have to look into some old records and see if it had been done, or if possibly Lucas had lined his pockets by not following through with it. Tony had never been one to verify results, he was a bit lazy that way. This was a trait EJ had not inherited.

Sami lay awake, her arm thrown over EJ's bare chest, and curled into his shoulder. John was on her mind, and the strange way he had reacted to Belle and him confronting him about the woman who had waltzed into his apartment, their mothers home, and treated them as the outsiders when he came in behind her. Her and John had finally reached a point of having very loving and friendly terms. His affection for Ace was boundless, he loved the other children too, but the young boy and him shared a special bond. When Sami asked him to drop by and see Ace, he had seemed noncommittal, as if he really did not know if he could be bothered. Sami told EJ this, and her voice cracked a bit as she did, since Roman had never been a real father to her, losing John was harder to take than when Roman had died.

"You have not lost him darling, he is going through a tough experience..each time Marlena has disappeared you know how hard he takes it! How he obsesses over rescuing her?"

"That's just it, it's like he doesn't care if she does come back..I mean normally he would be calling in all his ISA contacts, bugging the Salem P.D. going to Bo for his help! EJ, he hasn't done anything to try and find her it looks like..."

"Ssshh..relax darling, I have some things I want to check out tomorrow, you get some sleep.." he began to rub her arms, soothing her, until at last her restlessness calmed, and he head the even steady breathing of her sleep. He remained awake late into the night, staring at the ceiling, and thinking of how he would stop Kristen, without having to kill her.

"We probably should not be doing this John," Kristen was sitting up getting a sip of water, as John lay back, still breathing heavily from the lovemaking just finished.

"I can't live without you Kristen, when are we going to get her out, and committed so we can be together?" John sat up to kiss and caress her bare shoulder.

Kristen went to her computer and switched on to Marlenas live cam feed. She brought it back to the bed so John could see as well.

"My, she is really susceptible, guess that is why she was so easy to demon possess, exorcise, and program to think she was a serial killer...wow, I could write a bad soap opera about this woman..look at her..I really think she is ready..good thing too. EJ came after me already. He is a quick study, Stefano did try to warn me."

"So when do we get her out?" John asked as he pulled her down once more, his voice was husky..the answer to his question was the answer to the rest of his lifes happiness.

"I think one more dosage, then the next day she should be done..I mean stick a fork in her, she is cooked!" Kristen began to laugh again, as she pulled him into her kiss!  
I

In the adjoining bedroom, Rapael listened to the noises from the next room. He had meant to always keep a professional attitude with Kristen, but the woman was so exciting, and deadly he found himself breaking that cardinal rule. As to how she had ever decided to bestow her considerable favors on this drugged out buffon with the perpetual raised eyebrow, he could never figure out! Just the fact this man had chosen the even more unworthy Marlena over a goddess such as Kristen sealed the fact he had no brains or taste. How some ever, it was not his call to make. He was there to follow orders, collect money, and if she ever decided to want a real man, one who was her match in every way, he would be there for her. Meanwhile, he was doing his job, and doing it well. He also had been using the webcam to see how Doctor Evans was holding up.

"Madam, you do look a bit green about the gills.."the last dosage of drug was altering her state of consciousness and she was calling out in her sleep now.

"Kacie, please, please, hear me, I am dreaming to you, help me. Tell someone where I am, please, come for me..Kacie..don't go..don't go!"

The dream woke her up, and Kacie went to the window to look down upon the pool area. She was aware of the wind blowing a bit, and the leaves floating down into the pool area. She saw one leaf that was sinking down in the pool light area to the drain area where she felt the presence of the pool fairy. Slipping on her robe she headed down the stairs to talk to the pool fairy directly!

When her footing had slipped, it had surprised how heavy the robe was when wet, and how hard it was to swim in it. The deep end of the pool came quickly, and the belt of the robe caught within the drain. She could not talk now to pool fairy, and she could not hold her breath any longer!

EJ, still unable to sleep had gone to the window, also looking down on the pool area, and when he saw her at the bottom of the pool, his scream of horror woke Sami, but he had knocked her out of the way as he ran down the stairs to the pool, and dove in. He reached his daughter in a matter of seconds, but when he tried to get her to the surface, he saw the belt of the robe stuck in the drain. It took time to get the robe off of her, and by that time, her eyes were closed, but he kicked for the surface, where Samantha waited, her own screams of agony filling the air!

**Chapter XXVI**

Kacie lay limp, still, with the drips of the pool water falling from her tiny face. EJ began to compress her chest, and breathe into her mouth, praying with each pause for God to intervene! When he paused for a moment he saw that Tippin had heard the screams and was standing there horrified, but still with the phone in his hand dialing 911!

"EJ,God, EJ how long was she under there?" Sami was clutching at him, but he threw her arms off him to keep on doing what he was doing. He was so afraid, his hands were so big, they covered her entire chest, his mouth covered most of her nose, and he feared he may be using too much pressure. He felt a tugging on him, and looked to see Nanny hovering over him..

"Let me sir, let me do it please, you are too big, let me!" Her pleadings were desperate as she feared he would be breaking the young childs ribs if he kept on as he was doing. He was reluctant to stop, but he knew she was right, so he moved to let her try. Tippin ran in to get blankets to warm the young missy, and Sami kneeled to remove the wet things as she could feel the chill settling in on the body of Kacie. EJ kneeled to keep the head of Kacie still for Nanny to work.

The cough was the first thing Nanny heard, low and soft at first, but then it became more pronounced, and the gush of liquid from Kacies lungs spewed out onto the hand of her father. He was never so happy to feel a bit of vomit in his life! Nanny turned her head sideways to help her get rid of more of the water, and then smiled a teary smile when the eyelids began to flutter a bit, and the soft brown eyes peered out from beneath the wet lashes.

EJ picked her up, wrapping the warm blanket around her, hugging her as though he had received the most precious gift in the world, and he had. Running for the front, where he could hear the sirens approaching, Sami trailed behind him, and the para medics took her from EJ's arms to assess her condition.

"You are lucky people, she looks like there are no permanent effects!"The paramedic was looking to the Orlowkski score which could determine how good the outcome would be for a near drowing episode. This little girl was over three years old, that was good, resuscitation had begun immediately, she was not comatose, but seemed to be fully aware of her surroundings, and when they stuck her to get the arterial gas readings, she had a marginal score. They placed an oxygen mask on her, and loaded her up to the ambulance. Sami climbed up to ride with her, and EJ made for his car to meet them at the hospital.

Kacie looked up at her mom, and smiled a bit through the mask, giving Sami a squeeze with her small hand.

"Kacie, oh honey, I told you, never on the deep end without Mommy or Daddy with you, or the jacket on..why Baby? Why?"

She had to bend down to hear the whisper of her daughter and all she could make out was "The pool fairy dreamed me there Mommy, she needed my help!"

Then and there Sami made the call to EJ. "EJ, call someone tomorrow to come and drain that pool! We have to show Kacie there is no pool fairy trapped down there, this has got to stop!"She was angry, and did not want to hear any opposition.

"I will take care of everything Samantha, how is she doing?"his concern was in his voice, and Sami cooled her voice a bit.

"She is talking a bit, but they don't want her to do too much of it, in case she aspirates anymore fluid into her lungs. EJ, she looks so tiny and helpless..if we had lost her,.."she stopped, unable to think that thought anymore.

"We didn't lose her, she is going to be fine, I know it. I am almost to hospital, I will park and come round to the emergency. I wonder if Lexie is on call tonight?"

"Oh..please, anyone else but her!"

"Sami, she has been on staff for over a year, she seems to be doing fine. I was instrumental in getting her back on, and she has met every probation requirement..don't worry darling..I love you..I love Kacie, please tell her that for me."

Sami put the phone to Kacies ear, telling EJ, "here, tell her yourself!"

Lexie saw the guerney wheeled in, she had already heard about the child accidental near drowning coming in, and had ordered up the room to use for assessment. She did not realize until she saw Sami frantically running to keep up with it, and EJ doing the same that it was one of the Wells children.

"I need both of you out of here, stat!"

"I am not going anywhere, this is my child, I have a right to know everything going on"Sami was refusing to budge. Lexie had to believe if it was Theo lying there, she would have said the same, but no matter, she could not do her job properly if the parent was standing over her, questioning every move.

"EJ, if you want Kacie to have the best outcome possible, get Sami out of here now!"

Sami still refused, but when EJ insisted verbally and physically, she had no choice, her arms flailed at him, but she was no match physically, and his arms wrapped round her to pull her out into the hallway, where she cried hysterically against his shoulder at being separated from Kacie. "Please, Darling, calm yourself, she is going to be fine, and tomorrow we will find out what is going on with this pool fairy business.!"

**Chapter XXVII**

Kristen looked at the clock as she picked the ringing cell phone. When she heard Lexies voice on the other end she was alert instantly.

"Why in hell are you calling me? And at this time of ...Christ, it is only 4 in the morning. What is going on?" She sat up and lit a cigarette to control her anger.

"EJ is draining the pool in the morning..you better do something now!"

"Why is he doing that?"Kristen was worried now, she needed more time, if the pool was drained, the camera could be revealed, and if they looked for the source of the camera they might find the old pump room.

"Look, the little Wells girl almost drowned tonight, and she seems to have some make believe friend or fairy or something..she thinks they need to drain it to save the fairy!"

"That is insane!"

"Yeah, well insane or not, Sami is insisting on doing it, if nothing else to show the kid that there isn't anything down there. You might want to make your move now. Plus, I want my money, I have given you what you asked for, information."

"What if I had something you might want more?"

"I don't know what you mean.".

"How about your husband back, good as new..Theo might like his daddy back don't you think."

Lexie had spent two years forgetting about Abe, trying not to think about him marrying her mother, it hurt too much. She did still love him, but she hated him as well. Theo, though, was another matter. If she could do anything to make up to Theo all he had been through, up to and including giving up on her hurt to make his go away, she knew she would do it.

"How can you do that, the coma is irreversible, all the doctors said so."

"Do what I say, and I will show you".

"If I said yes, what is it you want me to do?"

"How is the little one doing?"Kristen made a sound of concern.

"I think we can release her this afternoon, she seems to be doing fairly well"

"See what you can do to change that..I need more time to make sure the job is done well".

Lexie gave a small sigh, "What do you think I can do, three doctors besides me have checked her over..she is doing fine".

"Do what you need to, but I want her parents to forget about draining that pool for twenty four hours.!"

Lexie hung up and headed into the room where EJ and Sami were now leaning over the bedside the now sleeping child. Lexie smiled and EJ, then gave a nod to Sami. She had been grateful that Sami had chosen Theo to be released from the island. However old war wounds were hard to heal without some scarring, so the element of distrust was always present. To EJ she was grateful, he had pulled many strings to get her license reinstated, and spent a not inconsiderable amount of money greasing the right palms.

"I need to have a bit of time alone to make a few more neuro exams, and it would be best if you are out of the room..in fact, you should go get something to perk you up, some tea or coffee..I will page you when I am finished alright?"

Sami did not look as though she wanted to agree, but EJ took hold of her shoulders and said, "Lexie is right, you will do her no good if you fall asleep on your feet, lets just go get a cup of coffee and come right back. We can call home too, I bet Tippin and Nanny are besides themselves, Lorene too..and the kids don't' even know yet..We have to let them know she is fine."

When the left, Lexie quickly made her way to the nurses cart and accidently on purpose dropped one of the syringes set up for another patient. She called our her error, then pulled the one she had saved from a prior patient to exchange for it. The nurse wrote off the scrapped one and threw it in the bio-hazard box, shaking her head at the doctors lack of care around here as she went to the pharmacy to request another med.

When Lexie gave Kacie the injection, she looked for the first sign of the flatline before calling the code blue. It was a matter of precise timing, but the crew was just as effiecent as she knew they would be!

"She aspirated again, I think she may have had her airway blocked for a minute or two, hit it!" they placed the defibrillator on the tiny chest and sent the voltage through her. It took only one hit and the normal sinus rhythm returned. Sami, however fainted at the sight into EJ's arms.

When she came back around after she had an ammonia cap popped under her nose she flew at Lexie!

"What did you do? What did you do to her! EJ, get her out of here now! I want another Doctor, do you hear me! Now, this instant!" EJ was trying to calm her down, when Lexie barked an order to the nurse.

"Get her something now! She is going to wake the entire floor!" Seconds later, EJ was helping her to lie on a cot, next to Kacie. He looked at his watch, deciding it would be best to postpone the pool draining until all of them were home together.

**Chapter XXVIII**

Flipping on her computer calendar, Kristen saw her first appointment for the day was none other than Victor Kirakis. He was required by the terms of being granted the heart transplant to undergo counseling on a regular basis. From the entries in the chart, all he had managed to do in the past year was cancel scheduled appointments. She wondered why it seemed he planned on keeping this one. When she called out to her receptionist, she was given the word that he was indeed here, right on time.

She kept her head down, reading his chart as if this were almost the first time she had ever seen it. Victor kept his eyes on her, while his hand was held by Hana. She never left his side, and he was insistent that all doctors had to permit her to accompany him, or

he would not see them. It was his way or the highway. Kristen read those remarks and smiled. This would be quite revealing she figured.

Hana was a pleasant looking woman, of Middle Eastern Extraction. She wore traditional Muslim Dress, but she was not the same woman described in this chart from a year ago. That woman had been one who kept her eyes downcast, her mouth shut, and her scarf always upon her head. Now before she sat, she unbuttoned the abaya gown she had covered her tasteful suit with and removed the scarf she always wore in public. With her new look, Kristen was seeing the difference a year makes, and she found it to be most telling.

"Hello, Mr. Kirakis, I am Doctor LaDierma. I know I am new, here, but I hope we will soon establish a patient and doctor relationship built on trust and mutual respect. From what I read here, you have had quite a year." She then stopped and waited for him to speak.

"I have had heart transplant surgery, yes, I am now considered to be HIV positive since the heart I needed came from my...stepson I guess you could call him..relationships in Salem often criss cross lines..you will find that to be so. However, I would say even with that, I am now a very happy and healthy man. This lady here beside me is responsible for much of that, without her I would be the same man I used to be."

"And what type man would that be? From my information, you have always been considered a pillar of this community, you donate to many worthy causes, you are in successful partnerships with the Wells enterprises..your son is following in your footsteps, to me it seems like you have nothing to be ashamed of."Kristen made a few notes as she was talking, but mostly she was watching the strange interaction between this older man and the young woman beside him who was so quiet, but who seemed to control him with merely a look or a soft touch of her hand.

He began slowly, deciding it was now time to unveil who he was now. "I debated telling this, but since speaking with Hana, I feel I have to be honest. First of all, since getting the heart of Lucas, I have fallen in love with Hana. He should have loved her, but he could not, but he was fond of her. I wish to marry her as soon as possible. This is going to create certain complications in my family life. My son will not approve, and he is going to fight this by trying to convince both Wells and the boards of my companies that the HIV and the protocol of meds I have to take has made me incompetent..that is why I need you!"

Kristen smiled inwardly at this bit of knowledge. To have knowledge was to have power, and this was a bit of information that would really have legs in the future. She could picture it now, her trading some really good favors to Mr. Philip Kirakis!

The session lasted an hour, and by the time it ended, Victor felt he had things well in hand, until when they entered the elevator, Hana turned to him and voiced what she was thinking.

"Victor, the woman is not one I would trust with all your heart, your heart is of Lucas, and though he was a man of soft heart, you must use the Victor brain to protect yourself. You know this to be so. What if she is deceitful, like the Kate woman? Would you put the diamond of your mind in her hands..treat this woman like the Kate until you know for sure she can be trusted..I am not so sure as you".

As they walked down the corridor the tall stride of EJ caught Victor's eye, and he called out to him.

"EJ! What brings you down to Salem Hospital this early, nothing wrong I trust?'

EJ gave a quick rundown of why he and Samantha were there, trying to excuse himself to get back to Samantha, when Hana said something that stopped him cold.

"The baby is gifted, I can hear her even now. She is of the ones who see. As I am, but her gift is greater. Listen to her when she speaks." Hana had spoken and when she saw the look of shock on his face, she regretted her speech. It was obvious he did not know his daughter carried the gift, and now would think her foolish and uncivilized.

EJ was now looking at her in the way many others had when she had revealed something unknown. He, however was not unkind in the look, just quizzical.

"I don't know how you hear her, right now she is under some pretty heavy sedation, they had to restart her heart. She is stable now, but she will be in hospital for a few days apparently."

"You should care for her at home, it is not safe for her here! I feel evil in this place. The little one would be better with her family to care for her. Someone here is not what they seem to be. That is all I tell you". Hana found herself unable to stop what was coming from her mouth, and it horrified her as much as it seemed to alarm EJ. He was nothing though, compared to his wife who had come up behind him unawares.

"EJ! EJ! She is right, we have to get Kacie out of here now! Lexie did something to her I know it..I don't know how or why, but I think Hana is getting messages, Kacie knows things! We have other proof! Lets take her home, get a Doctor to stay with her there, we have Nanny as a nurse, we don't need this place! Hana is right, it is evil!"

"Samantha, we can stay right beside her, I think we should keep her here where there is professional help available"EJ tried to reason with her, but he saw he was getting no where.

"EJ, remember how safe it was when you were here..if I had not insisted you be at home you would still be tethered to that machine! I want my daughter out of here now, and if you love me and her you will do it right now!" if using emotional blackmail was going to be what it took, Sami had no compunctions, and she saw the look in EJ's eyes that meant he was going to give in to her.

Lexie was quicker though, the call to Child Protective Services had been made by her, and the click click of the social workers heels was even now coming up behind them, with a officer in tow carrying the paperwork!

"Mr. and Mrs Wells? I am Laticia Frame, CPS, and I am here with a restraining order against the two of you until an investigation is done on why you should not be charged with negligence in the near drowing incident of..."she paused as she flipped through the papers to find the childs name.

"Yes, her name is Kacie Lynn Wells, your five year old daughter. I understand she was allowed into the pool area unsupervised late at night, fell in and nearly drowned...would that be true?"

"You are restraining us in what way?" The restrained anger in EJ was now coiling up to be unleashed if he heard any thing else.

"I am afraid you both will be removed from the vicinity of the childs room, unless in the presence of an office of the court, and uh..oh yes, we will be taking custody of the rest of the children in your household as well until this matter is resolved!"

"Not if you value your job, and anything else you possess Miss Frame." EJ was heading for the pay phone to call Harris and his attorney, leaving Sami to do more battle with the prim and proper social worker.

"Who called?" Sami asked, trying to yank the papers from the woman.

"That is confidential, and will be kept so. Right now, all we want is your cooperation so that this matter can be handled expediently. Once things are clear, your lives can continue as before if we find there is nothing to be concerned about."

"Our cooperation? You want to keep us from our daughter when she is ill..you want to take our other children out of their home on the basis of some anonymous call? Let me tell you something Miss..Lame?"

"Frame"

"Yes, well, my husband and I will cooperate in this idea of yours when Hell freezes over, and we all go ice skating on it".

EJ had returned from his calls, and knew he better take care of Samantha before she did physical harm to the woman and she...too late, the woman was down on the floor and Samantha was on top of her, slapping the woman repeatedly as she told her to "Just shut up, shut up!!!"

"I made bail for Sami, Chandler and I will meet you at the house with her. Tippin and Nanny have gotten the children over to Bo and Hopes. No worries there. I have hired our own men to guard Kacie, Matthew will handle the detail. They may be able to keep your from them, but the attorney says you can appoint another guardian yourselves, and you can assign your own security to her. I'm sorry, EJ, that was the best we could do."

"Just get Samantha home, I will remain here and see to the details of this then. Thank you Harris, good work as always."

**Chapter XXIX**

When John opened the door, and Raphael just walked in past him, the annoyance was plain to see on his face. Raphael smiled to see it. About time he showed he had anything in his pants to speak of.

"We move on her today, she has had enough Kristen thinks..before that kid gets a chance to really make them curious.

"Will she be ok after this, I mean will she someday be normal again? She won't be committed forever, right?" John did have some concern for Marlena, she was the mother of Belle, and had been a good wife to him for many years. She just was not what he wanted anymore.

"I cannot believe I am hearing you! Will the lovely Marlooney ever be the same again? In a word, no. She took everything away from Kristen, so the favor is being returned. But she will eventually be happy..when she is where she really belongs. With the man who has always desired her above all things." Kristen did have a soft heart, he had to admit that, his inclination would have been to just kill her and be done with it!

John was quick, but Raphael could still barely stomach him.. His jealousy over Kristen's unfathomed attraction to the man grew each day, and when John asked him, "Does Kristen plan on giving Marlena over to Stefano"? he enjoyed being even more derisive

"If she did, would that bother you?"Raphael had to ask, just to probe the wound a bit.

"As long as he promised to treat her well, it may be the best thing in the long run. He has always wanted her, I just wish Belle would be able to see her mother once in a while. Do you think Stefano would agree to some kind of visitation?"

"Does your brain register go up with the eyebrow..No..no..no..Marlooney will be kept on Stefanos yacht or the island, going round and round the world, getting a great sun tan, while her little blank mind gets to think about absolutely nothing. Believe me, she will be the happiest she has ever been, and so will Stefano! Now he will give Kristen anything she desires, once she has given him the greatest of all his desires. Kristen is a genius in the art of the deal, don't you agree?'

Hana ate her food in silence, not looking up to the stares of either Phillip, Kate, or Annaliese. All of them saw her as the interloper now in the family. To both Kate and Phillip she was a danger. When Victor poured the wine for them, and announced he had a toast to make, all of them feared the worst.

"I want all of you here tonight to know that Hana has made me the happiest man in the world by agreeing to become my wife." Victor secretly enjoyed knowing how he was bursting the bubble of at least two people at the table.

"Are you insane Victor? Or living the Viagra dream?"Kates voice dripped acid as she downed the wine.

"Thank you Kate, I knew I could count on you to liven up the conversation. But as you all know, I have begun the counseling with Doctor LaDierma that was required of the hospital after the transplant..so if any of you thought that might be a way to prevent me going ahead with asking Hana to marry me, think again!"

He had remained silent for a year as his father made himself more and more the fool, but now Phillip was ready to speak.

"Father, there is no way that is going to happen, not even over my dead body.."

"Don't tempt me Phillip, right now I am only going to think of my happiness, and Hana is that. My will has already been changed to include her, don't make me revise it to exclude you. Instead of worrying about me, why don't you try pleasing your young wife there, she seems to have developed a wandering eye just like your mother?" Victor looked over to where Nico was looking sheepish.

Annaliese was quietly absorbing all of the banter back and forth. Her husbands opinions of her had failed to matter after the first beating he had given her. His inadequacy as a man was manifested both in his failure to produce his own son, but in the fact that he was unable to make love anymore, and he was too ashamed to seek help for it. Not that she wanted him in her bed anyway. Austin had been a man, Phillip was a mean, self centered male carbon copy of his mother. EJ Wells might be interested in some of this conversation, he seemed to be a man who was always on the lookout for news of the Kirakis family.

The nostrils of Kate flared in anger, both at Victor and her son for his blunder in opening his mouth. Kate knew with Victor it was best to keep a close lid on what you might have planned. He figured it out on his own soon enough anyway, and now with this Hana and her silly second sight it was even worse.

"Well Victor, I suppose congratulations are in order. Does your fiancé know exactly how long you will be living? Her little second sight gift should be in overdrive ..I can see it now, you dead in the coffin, while your sweet little Hana is strolling along the deck of the Q-E II on the round the world cruise , saying to the man on her arm, "he would have wanted this for me you know! My God, don't you know when you are being played?"

"Oh yes, Kate, you taught me that pretty well, you and Nicole!" again, his hand covered up that of Hana, who smiled her doe eyed smile as her lashes left sweet shadows on her cheeks.

"Victor, I would like to go hospital now, and see if I may help the Kacie child. I feel her call to me, she is tell me something!"

Kate groaned,"Ridiculous! This little gypsy has you ignoring your own son, convincing you that Lucas's very soul has entered your body! Victor! Come to your senses, please!"

"If she wants to think I have some of the soft heartedness of the man she loved, but who did not have the brains to love her back, I am not going to argue with her! She knows my mind is not weak as his was. She loves me and I love her..if it is a year, a month, a day, an hour, I am going to take whatever is there! Come, Hana, Nico will drive us there!"

**Chapter XXX**

"Mr. Wells, I am sorry, but hospital rules are being broken here right and left. There are too many of your security here, it is interfering with hospital procedures."

"I don't' care. This is the way it is going to stay until I can move my daughter out of here. We are contacting the judge now to get him to counter act CPS actions" EJ was not giving ground, and the hospital administrator and the chief of staff were not getting anywhere with him.

Matthew signaled to the other four men to take their posts. He went into the room itself to sit next to the sleeping form of Kacie.

"Very well, but the order does say you or Mrs. Wells may not be on the same floor. So I am so sorry, but you must go to a different floor. Your men may remain."

When Hana saw the guards standing around, she told Victor to go speak with them. She could do what she had to from outside, she just did not wish to be noticed. That would interfere with the messages.

Kacie's eyelids fluttered a moment, and her eyes opened wide. Matthew bent over her, "Kace, sweetheart, it's me Matthew, your best guy! How are you love?" but she closed her eyes as quickly as she had opened them, and she began to dream out of her body to Hana.

The small figure of the girl floated up to her, and Hana held her hand out to reach the spirit coming to her. "Hello my Kacie, you have something for me to know?"

"The pool lady, you have to get them to save her. I know how to get to her now. I dreamed it out.". The message came clear to Hana, and she took the pencil and paper from her purse to draw out the map Kacie was telling to her. The pool was in the side yard, but the tree of the tunnel was far out, you must find the tree, then go down the tunnel. You will find the room, and the pool fairy is waiting for you there. Go Hana, save the pool fairy before she dies. I cannot make anyone go now, you must help me!"

Once the message was delivered, Kacies eyes opened in the room, and she saw Matthew sitting next to her.

"Hi", she said shyly, glad to see one of her favorite people, "Where is my Mommy and Daddy?"

"Mommy was very tired, and had to be taken home to rest, Daddy is downstairs having some coffee."

"Can you get my Daddy for me..I have to tell him something.."

"Aw Sweetie, can I tell him for you? Daddy has to wait for the doctor downstairs, but I will tell him for you. What is the message?

She looked at him doubtfully, every time she talked about the pool fairy grownups looked at her funny, but she decided to trust Matthew.

"Tell Daddy Hana knows how to get the pool fairy out, and they don't hafta drain the pool, in fact draining the pool won't do it, you have to go down the tree!"

"Down the tree?"

"Yes, down the tree!" she was now getting tired once again, and Matthew pulled the cover tighter about her. Her eyes closed, and her even breathing meant she was asleep again. He thought about calling EJ, but then decided she probably was having some after effects from the meds.

Hana wanted to find EJ right away to let him know of his daughters message. When she rounded the corner she ran right into Kristen, and dropped the slip of paper. Kristen smiled at her, and reached down to retrieve the note paper, unfolding it as she stood back up. Hana looked at her as though she was a small mouse being looked at by a cobra. Kristen thought it funny, until she looked at the paper and understood what it was.

"This is a very interesting picture, looks like a pool, and a tunnel! Did you draw this yourself?"

"It is a picture of the pool Victor and I want to put in!"

"Oh? Are you planning on filling in the one Victor already has?"

"It is to be the women's pool, so that the men and women do not bathe together!"

"And they say you are not worthy of Victor! Great cover my dear, but you and I both know what this is don't we?" Kristen snapped her fingers, and Raphael was behind Hana, forcing her to the elevator as he pushed the number for the top floor. His hand covered her mouth, and he put his hand behind her neck, one if front of her neck and gave the vicious snap. By the time the elevator reached the top floor she was dead, and no one down below heard anything as her body crashed onto the parking lot below.

Next, he did his work on changing the security cameras via the computer system. Once that was finished, he left the building wearing the uniform of the hospital security staff. Again, he congratulated himself on how Kristen needed him. Soon she would realize how much.

**Chapter XXXI**

Her fingernails were now all broken off from scratching at the wall. Her hair was a matted mess, as she still refused to use the shower without being forced to. She had been down in the room now for three days with no contact, and even the dreams she sought escape in failed to come now. When she heard the sound of the door valve being opened she cowered in the corner, putting a pillow over her eyes as the black hooded men once again came to force the meds down her throat, and inject her again.

The latest torture had been to play films remotely for her to watch. She saw a lot of her life passing before her! Some of it good, some of it bad. Her first husband Roman beckoning to her, but then the images of explosions, being caged, bearing children in the castles of Stefano..coming back to find Roman with Isabella, then having Isabella die. It had not grieved her that Isabella had died, for it had cleared the path for her to go back to the one she thought was Roman..but he was John Black..God this was all so confusing, it was making her even more susceptible to the drugs..Why had her life been so mad?"

The last memory she was forced to relive was the possession. When Kristen had been there always to save John. Marlena knew Kristen loved him, and really in a way for all her sacrifice did deserve him. But John had an obsessive love for Marlena as she had for him. If it hurt others, that could not be helped, it was fated. Marlena saw all the times she had done the evil..and she recoiled from it, but also felt it enter her soul once again. That was the weakness of the woman, Kristen knew it and exploited it. Marlena was capable of doing much evil..Stefano had seen that in her too. She was also capable of fighting it in herself, as long as she had the help of John. Kristen now was taking that away. This was her revenge, and it was sweeter for having been a dish that had taken the time to grow cold while she had suffered in the harem and in the prison!

"Well, John, I would say our work with her is done. Time to let her loose, and time for EJ to take the blame!"

The pool man took the call, and was on his way to the Wells house. His instructions were to drain it, then accidently find the camera system which would lead them to where Marlena was now a blathering idiot who was programmed to blame all of this on EJ Wells. This was the perfect end to Kristens plot! The destruction of Marlena, and the downfall of the rival for her fathers esteem!

Sami woke from the heavily sedated sleep. After being released from jail, EJ had insisted on her being seen by a doctor who felt the only thing to calm her down was to give her something, and if her state of agitation, it had double the normal effect.

"Have a spot of tea, madam, I made the special blend for you!" Tippin was crossing over to open the curtains to let the sun in as it was almost eleven o'clock.

"Mr. Wells has made arrangements to drain the pool, madam, as you instructed. They are pumping it out now if you wish to see to it." He handed her the robe, still waiting for her to say anything. She only stared straight ahead, her fury with EJ growing by the minute. He had let them take her to jail, while their baby remained in the clutches of Lexie. Did he forget this was the woman who had birthed this child, but would still do something like this to her? Sami was sure Lexie had done something, it was in her eyes!

Harris had gone and made bail immediately, but she still could not understand why EJ would not listen to Hana! She knew Hana told the truth, Kacie did have a second sight, it was plain now. So many things had revealed it. Picking up the t.v. remote, she turned on the Salem news channel and saw Chandler reporting.

"A tragic event here at Salem University Hospital, Hana Ranabullah, close companion and friend to Victor Kirakis apparently jumped or fell to her death from the roof of the building here. Police have released few details, and we are awaiting further reports..."

Flying into her clothes, Sami ran down the stairs, grabbing her purse and keys as she ran to one of the cars. The security man tried to stop her, but she had already started the engine and was backing out as he got to her car door. He hailed the other detail man, and both got in a car to give chase.

"Damn, look how she is driving, she is gonna kill herself!"

"God, don't say that, if she hurts herself, we may as well commit hari kari together! EJ will have our hides!"

"Then we better make sure the row is plowed for her". With that, he passed her up, and began making sure oncoming traffic veered away, or pulled over. After that, Sami had a clear path as she moved onto the freeway to get to University Hospital.

Matthew had come out of Kacies room when he heard the commotion outside with Victor Kirakis yelling it was murder!

The police were swarming, trying to gather up all personnel who had been on the floor, checking the security tapes, and generally doing as well as the Salem P.D. had ever done on any case they were involved in. Unfortunately, even with EJ running the department, they were still constrained by the way police are trained to do things.

"EJ, I may have made a big mistake last night" Matthew confessed.

"What?"EJ also felt a woman being killed who had warned of evil and his daughter being in danger in this hospital warranted a detailed investigation.

"Yes, Matthew, tell us everything!" Sami was rushing up, having heard most of what Matthew had told EJ. There was no way she would not know it all now! EJ should have learned by now not to keep things from her! Especially about the children!

**Chapter XXXII**

The pumps had drained the pool in an hours time with the water being sent out to the sandy area on the lake bed. It took the pool people a couple of minutes to find the wiring for the camera system, and less than that to find the trap door twenty feet away leading to the old pump room. It was hidden under a bit of turf, but a bit of prying with the flat side of a screw driver and it was open in no time. At that point, they heard the screams of the woman who was trapped inside. Though one security detail was still at the house, when he heard the sirens coming he knew it had already been set up. Mr. Wells was going to go down, there was no doubt about it he thought, as the police swarmed over the backyard.

"Mr. Wells?" EJ answered, but impatient that he was being bothered by something as inconsequential as the pool men being there to do the maintenance.'

"What in hell do you mean they are draining it ? I did not order that done yet..Samantha? Did you call the pool company to empty out the pool?" Her look of confusion was his answer.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes. Don't say a word!"EJ was heading towards the elevator at the same time.

Sami was tugging now on his arm, and he was trying to get loose of her, without upsetting her more than she already seemed to be. Once Matthew had given them the information her eyes had spit fire, and EJ felt the guilt nag at him knowing he should have listened to both his wife and his daughter.

"Samantha! Stop it now, right this instant! Let Matthew take care of you. There is a situation at the house I must see to."

"EJ, tell me what is going on? Why are you doing this to me? You can't shut me out like this, and we cannot leave Kacie in here with Lexie running around!" his eyes shut in the frustration of all he was trying to sort out. Finally he shoved her into Matthews arms with a warning!

"Don't let her loose for the next five minutes, understand me?"Matthew tightened his grip on the struggling Samantha, knowing he had to obey his bosses orders. EJ ran for the stairwell out the lobby and the car Harris was in was waiting for him.

"Alright Matthew, you did his dirty work, now you take me in to see Kacie!. At least one of us has to be here to see that she is not in any danger!" Matthew looked about, and with all the other activity going on, sneaking Sami into the room seemed the least difficult thing he had been asked to do today.

"Sweetie, wake up a minute baby, it's Mommy, how are you feeling?" The little girl looked up and smiled while reaching her arms for Sami's neck.

"Hi Mommy! Did the pool fairy come out yet? I told Hana how to find her last night in my dream. Hana said she would tell Daddy!" Kacie had slept peacefully with the full knowledge that all would be well when she awoke. She was Matthews best girl, and he would not let her down, she knew.

Marlena had finally stopped her screaming, when the door over her head was lifted, and the bright sunlight was shining down in her eyes. The police lifted her from the prison she had been held in all these days, not recognizing the woman who seemed to be a shell of the formerly lovely and self confident Doctor Marlena Evans.

EJ looked at her in disbelief, knowing now his daughter had been trying to tell them about this poor woman being held underneath the pool system, and how they had not listened to her cries for help until it had almost been too late for both her and Marlena. He went forward to try and comfort her in some way, but when she saw him, she began to scream again!

"Get him away from me! Get him away! I want John! Get John! EJ Wells put me down there! He hates me! He blames me for Sami and the twins! I never meant to hurt Justin..They know that! EJ is trying to kill me! He put me down there and was going to let me die there! I have proof! I have proof!"

Harris looked to EJ and got the silent instruction. He dialed Johns number.

"John Black here".

"John, get over to EJ's place quickly, we have found Marlena!"

John rolled out of the bed, giving Kristen a deep and passioniate kiss. "Well, looks like they got her out."

Pulling a robe on, Kristen got up to pour a glass of water and light a cigarette"

"EJ will have this figured out pretty quick, you better get on over there and help our dear little Marlooney make this story stick!"

"Yeah, I suppose you are right! You going to be the admitting doctor?" John was pulling on his trousers as he spoke, and coming up behind her to kiss her shoulders as the robe slid down a bit.

"Oh yes, and unless EJ wants to end up in jail, he is going to let us have our way with admitting her. She is certifiable you know..Finally I get to put Marlena in where she has needed to be for so long, and soon Papa will come to take her away! He will be happy, I will be happy, you will be happy, and eventually, she will see it is the best thing for her too! Don't you love happy endings?"

"Oh yes, darling I do indeed!"

**Chapter XXIII**

"You are in violation of the terms of the restraining order Mrs. Wells, step away from that child now!" The larger woman came towards Sami, but with more caution than she had exercised the day before.

"Matthew, take her out!" he obeyed and took hold of Ms. Frames arm.

"I said take her out! Get her out of my way, I am taking Kacie home now! If anyone tries to stop me you better shoot them!"

Sami scooped her baby up, and the little girl smiled and waved to everyone as they went down the hall, with the entire security detail employed by them providing cover as they went!

"They better not mess with my Mommy huh?"Kacie giggled as she used her fingers in a little pistol motion, bang banging all the hospital security people who were looking on helplessly.

The Salem police were still involved in going floor to floor questioning anyone who saw Hana, and Victor was still yelling at the top of his lungs it had been murder, and someone should haul his son and his ex wife in for questioning!

Matthew took over driving Samis car, shaking his head at what they had just done. He placed a couple of calls to the organization, asking for a private doctor to be on hand at the mansion, and another to Nanny telling her to prepare for caring for a patient. Nanny hesitated a moment and then had to let them know what had just taken place there.

"They arrested him? On what charge?"Matthew's voice edged up a bit, but his calm professionalism stayed with him. "Is Harris there? Let me speak to him now please."

"What in hell is Samantha up to? Why did you let her talk you into this? She may not have custody long once that bitch from CPS tells about this".

It seemed the walls of the whole DiMera Organization under EJ Wells seemed to be collapsing, as well as the carefully constructed walls of his protected family life. For one of the first times since Harris had given EJ his promise of fidelity and loyalty, he had the feeling things were totally beyond control. Even the Pub bombing had seen the towns people pulling for the Wells family, now it looked as if they were going to lose the goodwill they had worked so hard to build up. The reputation of Marlena Evans, though sometimes undeserved, was impeccable in the town, and John Black was one of the most respected businessmen in the world now.

John had arrived, and when Marlena ran to him in terror, he had agreed to press charges against EJ Wells for the kidnapping and seeming tortuous treatment of his wife. He knew what Marlena had done to Justin, and it seemed the DiMera thirst for revenge was being quenched by treating his wife so inhumanely she seemed to be insane! This was his private conversation with the police, and with a couple of the agents of the press standing near.

EJ had looked on coolly, assessing Johns every move and statement. Something was off about the man, and until his dear cousin appeared, kneeling to Marlenas prostrated body in concern, EJ was unsure about what it was. Family history was also contained in the ledgers Stefano prized. The story of Kristen and how John had mistreated her in turning to Marlena was well documented, as well as the story of how John had taken Kristens love from Tony, there definitely was nothing in hell with the fury of any DiMera scorned! Except Kristen had never given any of the blame onto John, it was always Marlena.

"I need a moment with my man before I am taken into custody, it concerns my wife and children, and their safety". EJ uttered the words to the police captain, and Harris was allowed to talk with him, after having been frisked and his weapons removed.

"You better get hold of the old man..Kristen is getting out of hand, and he may not know everything she has done. I cannot fathom him allowing Marlena to be treated this way, and God knows, I fear his wrath enough to not do anything like this, though I may have wanted to a time or two."

Harris gave his assurance he would handle it, and EJ was led away in handcuffs, as Harris called his attorney to meet him at the police department.

"Why are you arresting my husband?" Sami had pulled up as they were putting EJ into the squad car.

"Mommy, look the pool fairy is a loose..oh, that is Nana Marlena...I didn't; know she was the pool fairy! Daddy, where are you going?" EJ could only look at his daughter with heartbreak in his eyes, and he turned away so she would not see the sight of her father in handcuffs. She may not understand it now, but someday, she would understand what it meant to be of the DiMeras, and she would remember.

Harris pulled Sami aside, then asked her to go speak to Marlena. Nanny came out to take Kacie in, as Sami made her way to her mothers side.

"John..what happened to her, why is she like this?" after the first lucid moments when she had come out, Marlena was now in a state of catatonia. Kristen had seen to that. When Sami saw that Kristen was administering some medications, she put a hand on her to stop the next injection.

"What are you doing? How can you be treating her out here? John? How can you let her do this? What kind of a doctor are you?!"

Kristen stopped what she was doing for a moment, then coldly told Sami, "John is her husband, he has given his permission for the treatment she is needing. I have to have her mind at complete rest. You have no say in this, so I am going to ask you nicely, get out of here and let me finish what I need to do!"

**Chapter XXXIV**

Softly, Victor pulled the hijab back from the face of Hana. Her face was not marred in any way from the fall, She looked as peaceful as she did when kneeling at her prayers. His kiss on her forehead was gentle, and the tear that feel from his eye glistened as it lay upon the softness of her cheek.

The sound of footsteps coming up behind him did not make him turn. He knew it was Kate, and with her would be Philip. The heavy fragrance of Kates perfume overshadowed the perfume of the roses he had ordered to adorn the casket of Hana, and that angered him. To know that whore had come in here defiling the resting place of this woman who had only shown him love and kindness from the moment he had met her, and the spawn he had made with Kate also showing how little respect they had for this gentle creature by their very presence. They would regret all of this.

"Victor, please, we want you to come home, you cannot stay here all night. You need rest, even Doctor LaDierma says that! Your heart condition is not strong enough to withstand this stress!" Kate said it softly, as under her breath she added "at least we hope it is not strong enough!!"

Kristen had made the call to Lexie, advising her to call the family of Victor. She knew they would find the news of Hana's demise to be most welcome.

"I do not want to be involved in any more of this! EJ is not stupid, he knows who you are, and that means he knows I helped you! We are both in a lot of trouble!"

"Just call him, I don't understand you Lexie. Papa always loved you best, and why is totally beyond me. You are a schmuck you know? Now run along, do what I told you to do if you don't' want EJ finding out all of your part in this. It makes no difference to me what I tell him, he can't do a thing to me. Papa said so."

"Kristen, EJ is not that concerned with what Papa thinks most of the time, especially when it comes to his family. For Gods sake, he killed off the council for pulling stuff like this with his family..now you mess with his wifes mother?"

In the end, Lexie had done as she was told, and Kristen had read them right. Kate had seemed almost giddy at the news, and when Phillip got on the phone to verify and ask for details his voice sounded as though a giant weight had lifted from his shoulders.

"Tell my Father I will meet him at the mortuary..the one we always use I assume is where she will be taken!"

"Yes, according to her religion, no autopsy will be performed, her death is definitely the result of the fall."

Kristen checked off the list she had made of things to be done, and the last was to make sure EJ Wells could not make bail.

"What are you talking about, the judge won't set a bail amount? Don't; we pay people to cover situations like this for us..what is going on here Harris?" EJ had just been told the unthinkable, and his carefully ordered world had one more crack in its axis.

"EJ, they are saying you are a flight risk, you have the money, the connections, you are of the DiMeras..someone has been paid off, but this judge is above reproach, somehow he has been convinced you will flee. Look, we are working on it, the attorneys' are making writs as we speak. It will only be forty eight hours at the most!"

"My family will be at the mercy of the press...school is starting..Kacie is still not recovered! I want out of here tomorrow morning. Pay what it takes, just do it!"His insistence was a demand Harris knew could not be forestalled.

Hope was setting the kids down to lunch when she saw the first television truck pull up outside her door. When she peeked out the window, the flashbulbs went off like a thousand shooting stars, and the noise of the reporters started up!

"Mrs. Brady, Mrs. Brady..please can we get just a quick statement? How are the children taking all of this, the fact that their father is accused of holding their Grandmother underground in terrible conditions? Are they aware she is now being held in Salem Institute for the Insane? Have they been able to speak with their mother? Or their Grandmother?" The voices and questions were coming in through the loud speaker and Jessica and Jessica were horrified!

Ace had run to the window, and before Hope could pull him back, hundreds of pictures of him were now on the way to television stations, most of them showing him sticking a pink tongue out at them, and his hands placed on his cheeks giving them a monkey salute!

When the phone rang, she hesitated before answering..but thinking it may be Bo she picked it up.

"Hope, its me Sami! How are the kids doing? Have they heard any of this about their father?"

"God, Sami, I am so sorry, but the press is swarming outside my door. They are using loudspeakers as well!"

"Ok, I am sending for them to bring them home. If CPS tries anything, they are gonna meet up with an arsenal here! I am not kidding! My detail will be there in half an hour.

Get them ready, we are gonna bust through those buzzards!"

**Chapter XXXV**

EJ was led out into the holding room. He was still handcuffed, but one of the officers came forward to unlock them as he was told , "You have a visitor, this guy must have pull to get in here before your arraignment even!"

Victor Kirakis sat across from the glass partition, and he picked up the phone the same time EJ did.

"Victor, how nice of you to come. I was just going to send my condolences on your loss."EJ gave his most sincere look of amusement at Victor.

"She was innocent EJ, I hope I will not find you or any of the DiMeras had anything to do with this. If it is my family I will deal with it my own way. If it is the DiMeras, then I may have to settle things differently!"

"Victor, you listen to me, and listen well. I had nothing to do with it. As to other members of my family, I cannot speak for them, and as you can see, I now have other concerns that supercede my worrying about you losing your paramour. I am sorry she became mixed up in this. If it was a DiMera, then you can be sure someone in your family helped set her up! That is all I have to say, now if you will excuse me, I believe the officer would like to escort me to my cell. My dinner is waiting, and I believe tonights entrée is tuna noodle casserole, my favorite!"

Nico drove Victor back to the house, trying to avoid looking back at him. He had seen these moods before, and the cold efficiency of Victor when he was out for evening a score was enough to make Nico pull out his prayer beads and recite the prayers from his childhood.

"Nico, when was the last time you slept with Annaliese?" the question was put out as matter of factly as if Victor was asking when the car was due for an oil change.

Knowing it was no use to lie, Nico simply said, "This afternoon sir."

"And what was her mood like?"

"She was quite ...exuberant.."yes she was, thought Nico.

"Had she been shopping?"

"I believe she did say she had, and she was wearing some new...lingerie", Nico smiled at the memory of her black bustier, with the garters she had modeled for him.

"Thank you, Nico, very enlightening". Victor knew that Phillip kept her on a tight allowance, making her account for every penny spent. He wondered if Phillip knew of her new acquisitions. Poor Phillip, the second trip to the war zone had resulted in different wounds now, and with the humiliation Belle had piled on him after it was proved that he was not Claires father, other things had not gone well.

As they pulled into the drive to the house, Victor was making notes and looking up a phone number in his Blackberry.

The convoy of vehicles driving up to the Brady home numbered six. The one in front used its muscle to plow through the reporters, while the six men in it jumped out. Reporters coming forward were told to step back twenty yards. The ones that obeyed kept their equipment intact. The second car of Sami's detail pulled up, and the six men in it formed a shield for Sami as she ran into the house. The reporters who had been brave or foolish enough to stay close now were picking up camera pieces from the floor, as well as the cash that was thrown down on the ground as reimbursement.

"Mom!" Justin ran to her, hugging and kissing her cheek as Jessica and Ace came forward as well. She put her arms around all of them, then urged them to hurry!

"Keep the blankets on your heads, hold onto Matthew and me, and run to the car. Don't stop for anything..got it?"

"Yes, are we going home?"Jessica was crying with her need to be at home again! "Will we see Daddy?"

"You bet we are going to see Daddy! Very soon baby!"Sami said it with all the conviction she had, since that was next on her list.

Sami was not blessed with the ability to bribe and deliver the promise of the threats to back it up, but she was an accomplished liar and seductress. One or the other would surely work on the judge, it had to.

"Judge Greenleaf, how nice to meet with you, I want to thank you for taking time to meet with me". Sami smiled sweetly, and bent low over his desk to make sure his view was not hampered by the desk lamp, as her dress revealed all the cleavage allowed by law.

"Well I am glad to meet you two..too..my wife is a huge fan of yours, loves your books", his face was red, and he was reaching for his handkerchief to wipe off.

"Oh then, tell you what, I shall be happy to send over some copies of my new release, with a personal autograph, what is her name?"

"How kind of you, she would love that, her name is Becky, that would be a thrill for her!"

Within an hour, the charms of Samantha had worked their magic. He was convinced that her husband was a law abiding citizen, given to supporting many good causes, and pre disposed to contributing to the judges re election fundraisers. It was with a flourish of his pen that he signed the order grating bail in the amount of one million dollars.

**Chapter XXXVI**

"You know something is wrong about John and that doctor don't you? "that was the greeting that EJ got when he came in the door. Not the expected display of affection he wanted, and when he tried to show some of his own, Samantha was not interested in the least. So he tried a different approach.

"Samantha, I want to tell you how brilliantly you handled that judge today, and even though we may have problems when CPS hears about what you did, I want you to know how proud I am of you.".he went to put his arms around her again, but she turned away to pour a glass of wine, before directing her gaze at him, with hooded eyed.

"EJ, I know you are capable of doing many things, hell, so am I! But please, tell me you did not do anything to my mother..look me in the eyes and tell me you knew nothing of any of this!"

"Samantha, I would not hurt your mother. However, if you go back through her life, there have been many people she has hurt. You for one! What about how she was willing to let our daughter be raised by someone else, how she would have been willing for Ace to be abandoned? Remember what she did to Justin..and he trusted her, we trusted her..Samantha, I love you, but if truth comes out in a trial, I would not be able to say I find what has happened to her to be unjust. I hope you understand why I feel that way about her."

"EJ, if you knew who did this to her, would you be willing to tell me?"his answer to this was going to represent a benchmark in the years of their relationship. Would he trust her more than the other family he was tied to?

"All I can say is that it was not me, that is all I do know Samantha."

It was not quite all he knew, but it was all he was at liberty to tell her. Truth be told, he did not know who was wholly responsible for this, Kristen or Stefano. Whichever one it was, all he truly cared about was protecting his family and himself from the harmful fallout. He already had scores to settle with Lexie for her part, but knew she also still was under the umbrella of the family. It would not matter to him in the least, but he would have to cover his tracks as well as make his case. Stefano would have excused him teaching Lexie a lesson if the child had been harmed..but it seemed Lexie had done something she had been forced to do as well. EJ understood those type of motivations, Samantha never would.

"God, EJ, you heard her! This whole town will believe what she is saying! What if they put you on trial? They would put you in prison if she can convince them it was you! "

Sami then fell into his arms, he held her close, bending to kiss her head as he had done so often during their life together. His eyes though, looked ahead, not revealing his inner thoughts..even now he could not share everything with her, he wanted to, but it was still not possible. The DiMera family was his first loyalty, and Marlena was not worth risking any one of them.

"Papa? So good to hear you. Are you ready to take our little package off our hands? We are going to arrange it so it looks like she just walked off the floor. You be ready at one in the morning, and she is all yours! So good of you Papa! She is sorely in need of a restful vacation with someone who will care for her as well as you can! I love you Papa..yes..yes..John and I are very happy..just the way we always would have been if she had not interfered. We are going to be getting our son back as well. Raphael is arranging an accident for both Susan and Edmund..but of course I will be standing in for Susan..so little E. John will soon be with us. He will know his rightful mother and father! Marlena should never have interfered in that either..I know you did not want me to kill her, but really Papa, she did so deserve it! Okay..ciao..I love you too!"

"Oh, my sweet love, it is all coming together for us isn't it? You thought of everything, but I hope Stefano won't be disappointed in how she looks now..she is a little wasted I thought. It was like having ivy climbing on me!".

John shuddered as he recalled the way Marlena had clung to him at the hospital. It had been such a relief when Kristen had been able to give her the injection to make her manageable one again. Now in less than twelve hours, she would be out of his life forever, and he could not wait. He wanted Kristen, only Kristen. It had always been this way. How could he ever have thought otherwise?

The plane was landing on the private airfield outside of town. As he was carried down to the tarmac in his wheelchair Stefano looked down the hill at the lights of the familiar town of Salem. He had had some of his finest memories of his life in this town. Now, really, memories were all that were left to him. The woman he had loved all his life waited for him now, she also was locked away in memories. Only she was a prisoner of hers, within a mind that was closing in about her. He wished he could have felt sorry for what he had allowed to be done to her, but this was her destiny, and now she would be allowed to fufill it, with his help.

"Boss, now, you know the Doc is gonna be not the same one you have wanted all these years..I mean she is nearly sixty years old! Are you sure this is the way you want to remember her? Fantasies are sometimes better than the real thing..ask me..I have met up with some doozies online..crazy how they can describe themselves so differently ya know?"

"Bart..shut up please..Marlena is and always will be a Goddess to me! She is older..wiser..and now will appreciate more fully the life I can offer her!"

"Boss...I got ya..yep..I know..the sadder but wiser gal for you! So what are we waiting for ? Let's go get your woman!"

**Chapter XXXVII**

"Where are you going now? The children would like to see you here in the morning EJ!"As she watched him take up his car keys, and cell phone she was walking with him towards the door, demanding his answer to her question. His reply was to kiss her patronizingly on the top of her head as he gave a slight smile.

"I just have to meet Harris about a business transaction we have been working on. That phone call just now reminded me of what we had set up before all this other unpleasantness."

Seeing he was not going to be direct with her, she decided she would use her own methods of deception.

"EJ, I really thought we might have a little fun together tonight..like a nice hot bubble bath..together..so how long do you think you are going to be..I can wait up!" She smiled seductively, and moved closer to him. He softened, and returned her seductive smile, also moving closer til his arms closed about her waist. Her kiss so intoxicated him, he did not feel her hand steal into his pocket and lift out his cell phone. She knew if he missed it, he would just pull the spare one out of the glove box. He lost or let go uncharged about three phones a week. It was one of her biggest pet peeves with him. As she kissed him, she walked him towards the large planter near the door, and tossed the phone into it, then releasing him from the kiss. She was mad enough at him to not want to give him too much encouragement. He was hiding something from her, and she meant to find out what.

"Keep it hot for me darling, a bubble bath sounds delicious!" the door shut behind him firmly, she leaned against it, with her eyes squinting in anger.

"Bart here! EJ! What in hell are you doing calling back..your phone records could be subpoenaed.."Bart had read the caller number, and knew it was EJ's, but the call dropped as soon as he had said anything!

That was all Sami needed to know. Now she knew something was terribly wrong, and if Stefano was involved, her mother was at the center of it all.

"Belle..have you been to the hospital to see Mom tonight? No? Why not? Look, I'm sorry, but something is definitely wrong here..please..Belle meet me there, we have to check on her. I just have a feeling! No..No..EJ is not here..please, don't say anthing to Shawn, just get over there and meet me. We have to get in to Mom.." Sami was pleading, and when she turned she saw that Kacie was standing there, holding her Raggedy Anne doll, her puppy Sophie following her, chewing at the bottom hem of her nightgown.

"The pool lady is going away now. She dreamed it to me. The wheelchair man is coming to help her."Kacie delivered the message, then turned to go back up the stairs to her bed.

"Belle!" Sami screamed it out now," Stefano is coming for Mom, Kacie had another vision!"

To elude the security detail, Sami used the old set off the house alarm ruse. When the detail came running in, she excitedly told them she heard something in the basement area, and they went running down. As she pushed the remote button to open the gates, she waved gaily to the man posted there, knowing by the time he got the news to the others she would be halfway into town. She hated doing this to them, as she knew EJ would have their hides, and most of their monthly bonus, but it had to be done.

"Chandler, how soon could you be at University Hospital, the pysch ward with a camera crew? I have a big scoop for you!"

"Sami, what time is it? And what are you talking about?"

"It is midnight, actually a little after..but answer my question please, this may be the biggest news to hit Salem in decades!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about Stefano DiMera has returned to Salem, and he is going to try and take my Mother again! I know it, and we are the only ones who can stop this..Chandler, we have to get our husbands out of this horrible loop..for their sakes, for our sakes and for our childrens sakes! This has to stop!"

Chandler was silent for only a moment. The fears she had for her husband and child were now bubbling to the surface again. It seemed to only be the blink of an eye when she had watched in horror as her baby had been pushed off that yacht by his young cousin. The fact he had lived had been a miracle, but if Ace had not acted, she might not ever have seen Liam again. Now the man who thought it was a form of entertainment to him to juggle lives and insert himself into her family was apparently again up to something and Sami needed her help!

"I can be there in twenty minutes..let me wake the nanny and tell her! I guess you know where my husband is..or you would not be calling. God help us Sami, you are right, we have to stop this madness now!"

**Chapter XXXVIII**

Nico drove his boss towards the hospital a bit reluctantly. What purpose Victor had in trying to see Marlena was beyond his limited reasoning. Marlena would not have any idea who might have wanted Hana dead, as far as Nico knew, Marlena was now a bit of a clam, her mind turned to a bit of mush by her ordeal. As to how he was going to be admitted in to see her this late, well Victor was a hospital board member, a big contributor, and he still had friends in high places.

Late into the night, someone else was planning on paying a visit to Marlena's room that night as well. EJ was sure there were some drugs from Stefano's mind control laboratories kicking around in her system, and he was bringing along one of the experts from that lab to draw some samples. His method of getting in to her room was one of manipulating the records, and inserting his phlebotomist expert in as one of the hospitals lab works. It was good to know Salem University was operating with the same method of security it always had.

Kristen and John picked themselves up off the floor of her office, it had been a rather mad and messy love session. Once she had gotten off the phone with her father, she had attacked him with abandon. The files on her desk were now scattered across the room, clothing was strewn all over, a bra dangled from a desk lamp, her skirt and johns shirt were tossed into a corner, and his boxer briefs hung from the door knob. When the knock at her office door came, the mood had been instantly broken. Then the voice from the other side of the door made it even more of a mad scramble to dress and make themselves presentable.

"Doctor La Dierma! I know you are in there, the orderly just said you and John had gone in over an hour ago! This is Samantha Wells, I am here with my sister, and Chandler McMurty from This Day in Salem. We want to talk with you about your relationship with John Black!"

Even though John was not in the same universe he once lived within, he still had a connection with his daughter Belle he did not want broken. The idea she was on the other side of that door, about to catch him with another woman, while her mother was in the hospital, trying to get her sanity back gave impetus to his efforts to retrieve his clothing.

Kristen took a couple of minutes to recover her self, before telling Sami through the door. "You are going to have to wait a few minutes, I am on an overseas call, please have a seat in the outer office, I will come out when I am finished.

The door was locked, Belle had already checked it. When they had seen John's SUV in the lot, both Belle and Sami had felt the instinctive suspicion women always could use when putting two and two together.

"Well, maybe he is just up visiting your mother."Chandler offered as a way of reassuring the sisters they may be reading the situation wrong.

"I already called her floor to see if John was there. He has not been in all night, and look at the time stamp on his parking ticket" Sami had already, and it was giving a time two hours before she had made the call.

Belle's lower lip was trembling at what Sami was implying..her mother had always thought the moon and stars set in Johns face. What would she do if she learned John might have betrayed her?

The dark of the moon was lighting up Marlenas sleeping face when the door opened and Stefano wheeled himself in to sit beside her. He opened the vial of pills he had with him, and popped one small blue one in his mouth and waited patiently. It took only a few mintues to be effective, and he reached over to wake her with a kiss. Her eyes opened wide, at first in fright, then in welcome. He had come for her, as had been promised. Her arms opened wide to welcome him into them, and Stefano followed her into the realm of dreams and love she had been building up for him in her mind.

Kristen looked at her watch, knowing Stefano was probably in the room by now, and she opened the door to Sami and Belle. John was sitting on the sofa in the office, and when he saw Belle, he stood to greet and kiss her. When she turned her face away to avoid him, he looked puzzled.

"Good act John! But what are you and this so called Doctor doing to my mother? And why?" Sami was furious with John, her mother did not deserve this no matter what!

"Your father has been here with me while I have consulted on her case with a colleague in London. As to the other accusations, I have no idea what you mean, and if I have to listen to this type of drivel while I am trying to help your mother, I will remove myself from the case!"

"You damn right you will remove yourself from the case, and while you are at it, why don't you remove your underwear from his pocket?" Sami pulled the lacy bit of lingerie from the pocket of John where she had noticed it peeking from.

"Come on, Belle, Chandler, we need to go find Mom and get her out of here right now!"

They had ran to the elevator, John in pursuit, Kristen following closely behind. Kristen was grinning broadly though, as it seemed the timing was going to be perfect.

Belle was the first into the room, Sami and Chandler trailing her.. EJ and Harris had just stepped into the corridor with their lab expert, while Victor and Nico made it to the floor in time to hear the screams from the girls.

"Mother! My God Mom!' Belle voice carried down the hall, while Sami was quieter, but just as horrified.

Sami ran out, and EJ caught her up in his arms, her face burrowed into his chest to blot out what she had just seen. He looked over her head at the scene in Marlena's bed.

Marlena and Stefano lay naked in each others arms, smiling with satisfaction, his hand waving to his audience, and her eyes smiling with the squinty look she always gave when totally at peace and happy.

**Chapter XXXIX**

Surveying the tableau before her, Kristen guffwed into her hand. "Damn, I do good work" was what she whispered to herself, before going into her professional demeanor befitting an outraged professional!

She hit the call button and when the floor orderlies got there, she pointed at the scene in the bed, then began the round of accusations.

"Which of you was so lax in your duties this type of flagrant patient abuse has been allowed to happen?"

Having seen as well as heard quite enough, Marlena got up from the bed, draping herself in a sheet and coming out in the most regal way she could manage, while holding the sheet up decourously.

"I should like to see my charts to see who exactly signed me in to this ward, and for how long?" At the same time, Stefano had used his pager to summon Bart and his chair. He also used a sheet to arrange a toga effect around himself, and once he was in his wheelchair he ventured out to be at Marlena's side.

"I do not see what the problem is here, we are both consenting adults, and if Marlena is the one who signed herself in, she most certainly can sign herself out."

He then read the chart along with her to ascertain who the person responsible for her being here was. In order to absolve John of any complicity, Kristen had made sure to advise Marlena she should be the one to sign herself in.

"See, there it your signature darling..you signed yourself in, you may sign yourself out. Do you wish to leave here with me tonight?" Stefano waited for her to give him her answer, looking at all the others as he did so, to make sure they heard her answer loud and clear.

"I have always been destined to be with you Stefano, and now I am willing to admit it. Take me with you..I want to be yours for all the days of our lives!"

"Mom! What are you talking about? What has he done to you?" Belle was not believing her ears, while Sami just stood mutely staring.

It had been those weeks onboard the yacht with Stefano when she had come to know him better that another side of him had been revealed to her. He was a treacherous, devious man, that was clear, but when he loved, he loved with his entire being. It was a love that could be frightening in its intensity, insane in its willingness to be evil, but it was a love that lived forever. He had felt that for her mother, and he felt it for Ace as well. He had given up Ace, but it seemed the dream of Marlena had never been one he was willing to give up. Now he was beseeching Sami, in the hopes she would be the one Brady who could understand what her mother meant to him.

"Sami, I will make her happy. She needs this now. Her mind has been subjected to so many trials in her life, she cannot have peace unless she is with me. Don't fight us on this, let it happen. I will be good to her, I promise you. If she has to stay here and she is made to understand what all she has done to you and Eric, as well as your children she is going to continue to descend into madness. Let me help her. She will want for nothing, she will be treated like a queen! Talk to Belle, make her see this is for the best all round. As for John, he is no longer the man he was. He is back to being the man who once worked for me. Your instincts about Doctor La Dierma were correct. She and John are once again in love..but that is not what is going to make Marlena unhappy..she is going to be unhappy knowing she was never the type of mother you deserved. That has eaten at her, and you know it to be true. To Belle she showered what she would had desired to give to you and Eric had she been able. I admit I kept her from that, but now you do not need her anymore. Just be the mother to your children she was not to you..let her go Sami..for her own good and yours, just let her go.."

Sami felt herself trembling, and she reached to hold onto Belle who was clutching her hands to her stomach, almost sick at the scene she was witnessing. Belle had not borne the brunt of the Stefano DiMera history with her mother, but to see her mother now, ready to walk out with the man who had been the most feared enemy of the family for decades, her world was shaken to the core.

"Daddy..you must stop her!" Belle pleaded with John, but his eyes when he looked at Marlena were so different. As were her mother's eyes when she looked at John. No longer was that mutual adoration present. They seemed to be nothing more than old friends now. Marlena walked over to John, sweeping the sheet out behind her in a regal way. When she reached him, she touched his cheek with a gentle finger, and he held onto it as they both said goodbye to each other and a love that had once been the mortar holding their lives together.

"You have not felt the same towards me since you found out what I had done with Justin..and Ace. I am sorry, I should have trusted Sami, I should have trusted you as well. For some reason I just couldn't. I am not a saint, and it has been so hard trying to live up to everyone else's expectation of me. I belong with Stefano..you belong with Kristen..I should have realized that long ago. We should not have hurt her that way. She would never have tried to deceive you if I had not insinuated myself back into your life. I knew then that I would always have Stefano in my heart too! I just would not admit it..for all he had done to me, I should have admitted my love for him as well!"

"Daddy! Shut her up, make her stop saying these things! You know she loves you! Something is wrong with her mind!" Belle was weeping distractedly, trying to make sense of all of this, but there was no sense to be made.

"Doc..Marlena..I know, I am so confused too...I know I loved you, but I know I don't love you..I want you happy, but I know I cannot make you happy..follow what your heart is telling you to do, I am going to do the same." He then turned his back on her, and she turned hers on him as each of them walked away.

What was left in the wake were three confused women who held hands together in the middle of the corridor. EJ tried to move to Sami, but she shook him off, angry at the whole way the DiMera plans had to control people. Belle was near collapse after what she had just seen, and Sami understood her younger sister was just now seeing what the tentacles of the DiMeras could make happen. Chandler was thinking of her own young son, Liam, so innocent in all of this, but if his legacy played out the way the DiMeras seemed to think it should, what was to become of him? She looked over to Harris for but a second before she also turned away.

Harris an EJ both stood on the outside of this circle, feeling the blast of the cold feel of their wives rejection of them. It had never occurred to either of them in so long just what adhering to the Code could mean to them in the long run. Could they turn their backs on it? Was that even a possibility?

**Chapter IC**

"Samantha, please, you have to listen to me!" EJ followed her up the stairs, pleading with her as he had been from the moment they left the hospital.

"No, EJ, I don't have to listen to you. You need to listen to me!" With that, she whirled to face him in the confines of their room once the door had been shut.

"I have been married to you for eight years. And of that eight lets just take a walk down our memory lane! While I was pregnant a DiMera took me, buried me alive, and I had to count on you finding me and rescuing me! What possible reason did Tony have for doing that to me? Money? Yes that was part of it, but the other part was the old game that you DiMeras think is what keeps you all alive!"

"Samantha..I would never have let him harm you, he would have known better!"

"My God, you admit it was part of his silly game..what is it with you DiMeras? Then he puts you in a coma so the twins have to help me figure out how to save your life? So he can put a tally up on his scorecard? EJ! I thought we had lost you forever! Don't you understand I can't go on living my life this way? I can't make the children live this way.."

"What are you saying Samantha?" EJ tried to keep his voice even, and to hide the fear he was feeling.

"EJ, I can't do this anymore. I just can't watch my whole families destruction continue. The only ones I have left now are Belle and Carrie. When are the DiMeras going to decide they need to suffer for whatever wrongs have been done in the past? Will the DiMera arm reach out to Claire or Zach or Julianna?'

"You paid that price already, Samantha, Stefano has never been responsible for anything else."

"My father put a pistol to his head, and he was put into that corner by DiMera plotting EJ. I never held you responsible; I know it was Daddy's own weakness for Kate that put him in the position of being ridiculed by the town. However, lets face it, it made you just a little glad that he was gone didn't it? He came into our home, scared our children, and I hated him for it too..but God, EJ..I never wanted him dead. He was my father.."Samis voice became a whisper as for the first time she realized that she had not mourned Roman after all he had done to her either. When he died, she had put the episode in a small corner of her mind, not wanting to acknowledge her part in it.

"EJ, what about the explosion at the Pub? What power play was that designed to advance? I lost my grandparents because of that!"

"Samantha, please, when that happened it was not anything I could have known about, please, don't blame me for that..I couldn't bear it if you thought that..it would mean the end of us Samantha..you would never have forgiven me! I know that..but I did not have any knowledge!"

"EJ, Stefano knew! He knew far enough in advance to plan to take me and the children out ahead of time..barely ahead of time though! He knows everything and uses all of us like we are chess pieces in some cosmic game he keeps on playing!"

EJ stood his ground now. It was the moment he knew was coming, and he wondered how he would stand it.

"EJ, I want us to separate. I have to have time to think things through. This whole way of life is so strange. One moment we are driving our children to soccer practice, the next, I am helping you kill someone in order to get our own child back! Why can't we just pretend we are a normal family, with a normal life? Why does the DiMera Phoenix always lurk around in the background?"

Now it was EJ's turn to be cold and furious with her.

"This is my home, Samantha. Those children sleeping down the hallway are my children. You are my wife. These are the facts. There will be no separation as you envision it. If you want time to think, take all the time you need. I will move into the guest room, but do not even think of taking my children anywhere, and do not think of leaving them while you go think on some tropical island! You will be here, you will act as their mother even if you do not wish to act as my wife!"

The coldness of his voice had never been used on her in all their life together. It was like being whipped in a way, and though she had seen him use it on his subordinates many times, never had it been directed at her or the children.

"How can you stop me EJ?" she looked at him, her eyes brimming with tears at the way he was speaking to her, like she was nothing more than a possession.

"If you want to be a mother to your children, Samantha, you will obey me in this!"

The implied threat was not lost on her, and she knew he would win in any fight involving custody. All the judges in the state were beholden to him in some way or another. When it had been to her advantage, she had taken pride in that fact, but now she knew she was defeated once again. The same old Sami who could not make her own decisions, was now going to be giving in to blackmail like all the other times. Years of being her own person seemed to disappear and vanish like smoke in the wind.

Throwing open the closet door, she took out her robe and a few other things. Crossing over to the bathroom she filled a bag with toothpaste, shampoo and other essentials. He looked on, amused in a way, but wondering if maybe he had pushed a bit too hard.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"No need for you to move into the guest room. I shall move there instead. The bed in there is too small for you to be comfortable!"

The door was slammed, and EJ stood there alone, looking over at the big king sized bed he was going to be sleeping in alone. When he heard the door down the hall close, he looked out, and almost walked over to open it and beg her forgiveness. Almost.

End of hearts and diamonds..next installment is jacks and spades


End file.
